My Dark Knight in Shining Armor
by wendydarling78
Summary: AU- Steph is in an abusive relationship with Joe, and goes to her cousin Vinnie for help.  Connie calls Ranger and asks for a favor- she wants him to train and protect Vinnie's cousin.  Ranger agrees, not knowing what he's in for.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: JE owns the characters. I'm just playing with them. :) **

**This story is AU. Steph has never become a bounty hunter. Eventual Babe HEA, Cupcake warning!**

**Chapter 1**

I looked at myself in the mirror, my eyes tearing up when I saw the purple bruise covering my cheek. Joe had come home drunk again last night, and evidently my dinner of frozen lasagna and garlic bread hadn't been to his liking. I clenched my hands into fists and let out a scream. When had I become a woman who allowed someone to abuse her? How had it happened?

Slowly. That's how.

I had been working at E. E. Martin as a lingerie buyer, and my apartment had been broken into. At the time, Joe was still working the streets, and he was the cop who responded to my call. I was so glad to see a familiar face that I was willing to forget about the Tasty Pastry incident, and he was willing to forget about the Buick incident. He had been so patient with me, soothing. He knew how upset I was, that I was scared to stay in my apartment that night. He had called a friend of his to fix the locks right away. And then he had come back around 8:00 with a pizza. He stayed and watched a movie with me until I fell asleep. And then he had carried me into my bed and tucked himself in on the couch. He had been my knight in shining armor, rescuing me from the scary situation.

At that time, I was coming home once every 2 to 3 weeks for the obligatory family dinner. I had mentioned what happened and how wonderful Joe had been. Coincidentally, Joe had mysteriously appeared at the very next dinner. We had visited through dinner and dessert, and I agreed to come over to his house the next night to watch the Rangers game and have subs.

From there, we got into a comfortable rhythm of bouncing between my apartment and his place, eating takeout and watching sports and movies. That continued for about 6 months, until I lost my job when E. E. Martin was closed due to some shady business dealings.

I limped along as well as I could for as long as I could. I applied for unemployment and looked for work everywhere, but there were no jobs to be found. By that time, we had been dating for almost a year, and Joe suggested the logical solution- I should move in with him.

Our mothers had mixed feelings about this decision. On one hand, they were cautiously happy, hoping that this meant we were planning on getting engaged soon. On the other, they were mortified that we were living in sin.

Joe and I had talked about marriage, but we weren't in any hurry to make things official. Well, at least I wasn't. Once I had moved into Joe's house, he acted as though we were already married. He certainly expected me to do the "housewifey" things around the house while he was off at work during the day. Laundry, cleaning, cooking.

I didn't mind pulling my weight around the house. After all, it certainly wasn't like I could afford to pay rent, and I didn't want to take advantage of him and his hospitality. It was just that I felt like his expectations were a little ridiculous. He expected me to clean the entire house from top to bottom every day. Every bed should be made. Every floor should be swept. Every piece of dirty laundry should be washed, dried, and put away. Every dish should be washed and put away. There should be a home cooked meal, made from scratch, on the table every night at 6:00.

It took me a while to realize that that was what he expected. I figured it out mostly from the snide comments he would make in passing when he got home. "Rough day today, Cupcake? Too busy to wash the dishes, I see." "Takeout again? I understand. You had another long day at the office."

The first time he hit me came as a complete shock. I think to both of us. We had been arguing about the laundry. I had left a clean, folded stack of Joe's clothes on the bed for him to put away. He was pissed that I hadn't put them away for him. I was explaining, rather loudly, that I thought he was old enough to put away his own damn underwear when he reached out and slapped me.

I froze. He froze. Then I started crying, and he started apologizing. He gathered me up in his arms and begged me to forgive him. He got down on his knees and swore it wouldn't happen again. That he loved me, he needed me. And like an idiot, I forgave him. And forgave him. And forgave him. Over and over and over.

But today was it. Today was the last straw. I took in a shuddering breath and tried to think of someone who could help me. I needed someone who could teach me self defense. Someone who knew about pressing charges against an abusive partner. Someone who could protect me from him. But I couldn't think of anyone.

I called my best friend Mary Lou to see if she could help me figure out where to turn. Mary Lou knew most of what had happened with Joe. She didn't know all of it, but she knew enough, and she was smart enough to figure out the rest.

"Hello, Stankovic residence. Mary Lou speaking."

"Hey, Mare." I whispered. "It's me."

Upon hearing my voice, her tone became cautious. "Hey, Steph. How are ya, honey?"

I let out a choked sob. "Um, actually, I could use a little help."

"Oh, honey." She whispered.

"Mare, do you know anyone who could help me? I need someone who knows the ins and outs of the legal system. Someone who could help me figure out what to do."

"You need a lawyer, hun."

I snorted. "Maybe I should call Dickie. See if he'll give me a break on a consultation."

Mary Lou laughed. "Not likely."

"No lawyers, Mare. I can't afford any kind of fee. I need someone free. Someone who's used to working with the cops, with the courts."

There was a long pause before she spoke again. "What about your cousin Vinnie? Doesn't he do bail bonds? He's down at the courthouse all the time. Maybe he has some lawyer friends or judge friends who could give you some free advice."

I chewed on my lower lip. I doubted that Vinnie had any _human_ friends. His _friends_ tended to run more towards the barnyard variety, but it was worth a try, right?

"Good idea, Mare. Let me call and see if he'll see me."

"Don't call. Pack an overnight bag and show up at his office. It's harder to refuse people in person."

I nodded, even though she couldn't see me. She had a good point. "Thanks, Mare." I whispered.

"No problem, honey. Maybe Vinnie can help you figure out a place to hide out for a while. Somewhere you'd be safe while you got some self defense training and talked to a lawyer."

"Does such a place exist?" I asked skeptically. "And if such a place _did_ exist, wouldn't Joe know about it? He's a cop after all."

"You never know!" Mary Lou replied.

True. Very true. I thanked my friend again for her suggestion and headed upstairs to pack. I threw in all of my bathroom items, some pajamas, and two complete changes of clothes. Hopefully once I found a place to stay, I could come back for more. I sure as hell couldn't _buy_ more. I had no money!

My car had been repossessed, but I had been using my Uncle Sandor's Buick for a while. I loaded my stuff into the car and motored down to Vinnie's office. I'd only been there a few times before, but I was hoping he would take pity on a family member in need and suggest someone who could help me.

I took a deep breath and pushed open the door to the bail bonds office. Vinnie's office manager, Connie, was sitting behind her desk filing her nails. She looked up when I walked in and let out a gasp. "Stephanie?"

My eyes filled with tears as I nodded.

She got up and walked around the desk, pulling me against her large chest for a hug. "What happened, honey?" she asked softly, taking in my mostly purple face.

I cleared my throat. "I need some help, Connie. I was hoping that you or Vinnie would know someone."

She stepped back, a confused look on her face. "If you want to file charges, you need to go to the police, Steph. Can't Joe help you?"

I bit my lip. "Joe has helped enough already."

I watched as the understanding dawned on her face. "That piece of shit!" she growled. "What kind of help do you need? You want to file charges, or you want me to call my Uncle Tony?"

In spite of the horrible circumstances, I smiled. Connie's family was _Family_. A call to her Uncle Tony would be the first step in arranging a meeting between Joe, a pair of cement boots, and a very deep body of water.

"Well, I don't know if you can give me any help or advice or not. But Mary Lou suggested that maybe Vinnie knew of someone who could help me hide out for a while. Like a safehouse or something. Maybe someone who could give me some self defense lessons. But it would have to be someone who wouldn't hand me right back over to Joe." As I listened to myself talk, I realized how absolutely ridiculous I sounded. I blew out a sigh. "Never mind, Connie."

She studied me closely for a minute as if trying to decide how serious I was. She must have decided I meant it because a grin spread across her face. "Actually I think I know of just the guy."

My head snapped up. "Really?"

She nodded, still wearing a huge grin. She walked over and picked up her phone, punching in a number. I listened in to her side of the conversation.

"Hey, Ranger, this is Connie. I need a favor."

"Vinnie's cousin is here. She's in an abusive relationship with a TPD officer. She needs a place to hide out for a while and maybe some self defense training. Do you think RangeMan could help her?"

I crossed my fingers as we both waited for the answer.

She smiled and gave me a thumbs up sign, and I let out a huge sigh of relief.

"How soon can you meet up with her?"

"This afternoon? Yeah, she can come there." Connie wrote something down on a piece of paper and handed it over to me.

"OK, yeah, I'll tell her. Thanks, Ranger. I really appreciate it!"

Connie hung up, and I rushed over to give her a hug. "Thank you, Connie!"

She smiled. "No problem, honey. Ranger said to drive to that address on Haywood. There's a gated garage entrance there. He said to push the intercom button and tell the guard who you are and they'll buzz you in."

I wiped away a few tears that had slipped out and gave Connie another hug. "Thanks again!"

She waved off my thanks. "Anytime, honey. And if things don't work out with Ranger, let me know, and I'll call my Uncle." She winked at me.

I shook my head and walked out to my car. I drove over to Haywood and found the gated garage entrance. Pulling up to the speaker box, I pushed the button.

A deep voice answered. "Can I help you?"

I cleared my throat and squeaked out, "Um. I'm Stephanie Plum. Vinnie's cousin. I'm supposed to meet with Ranger?"

"One second." The guard replied. I assumed he was checking to see if I actually had an appointment with this Ranger person. A few seconds later, the gate slid open.

I pulled into the underground parking garage and pulled into an empty spot near the elevator. I got out and looked around. Now what was I supposed to do? I walked over to the elevator looking for a directory or something but found nothing.

The elevator doors opened, but there was no one inside. "Hello?" I called out.

A voice answered me from inside the elevator. "Step in. Ranger is waiting on the 5th floor."

I nodded and stepped in, fidgeting while the elevator climbed up to the 5th floor. When the doors slid open, I gasped. A huge black man was waiting just outside the doors. He nodded at me and motioned for me to follow him. I walked down the hall, and he waved me into an empty conference room.

Once I had stepped through the door, he closed it. I looked around, my eyes wide. Where on Earth had Connie sent me?

**TBC**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The door opened back up, and a different guy walked in this time. He was dressed all in black. Black boots, tight black cargos, and a tight black T-shirt. His long dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and his eyes were dark and hard. He nodded at me and indicated that I should sit.

He sat across from me and studied me, taking in my wide eyes and my purple complexion. "Tell me why you're here." He probably meant to sound friendly or at least neutral, but it came out sounding slightly annoyed.

I straightened my back and folded my hands in my lap, looking him straight in the eye. "Because I need help, and Connie said you could help me. Why did you agree?"

He looked startled that I had asked him a question, but it only lasted a second before the emotion was gone from his face. "Connie helped me a lot when I was first starting out here in Trenton. She gave me a lot of high bonds to help build up my cash and reputation. She used some connections to help me track down a few of the more stubborn cases. I owe her, and I've told her that if she ever needed anything in return to let me know. This is the first time in 3 years that she's ever asked me for a favor. I couldn't turn her down."

I bit my lip. "So you're Ranger?"

He nodded. "And you're Stephanie?"

I nodded. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. Now. Tell me why Vinnie's cousin is sitting in my conference room looking for self- defense classes and a place to hide."

I took a deep breath. "My boyfriend is abusing me, and I need help."

He raised an eyebrow at me. "This isn't a battered women's shelter, Babe. That's on the corner of Pine and Maple."

I clenched my hands into fists to keep them from shaking. "I know. And I've been there before. But they're afraid to help me." I growled.

He put his palms down on the table and leaned forward. "Because your boyfriend's a cop?"

I nodded. "They're afraid that he'll mess up their program." I looked up at him. "Are you afraid to help me, too?"

He let out a bark of laughter. "No."

I looked at him uncertainly. "Then you'll help me?"

He studied me. "You don't have any friends or family who could help you?"

I shook my head no. "He's made it difficult for me to keep in touch with most of my friends. The only one I still speak to regularly is my best friend Mary Lou. But she's married with kids, and he's a cop. She can't help me. My parents are in their own little world over all of this. My mom just asks what I did to make him upset and then tries to tell me how to fix what I did."

He sat back and pursed his lips. "She thinks it's your fault?"

I nodded.

Ranger reached out and traced a finger over my cheek delicately. "So what did you do to cause this?"

I bit my lip and looked down at my lap. "Made frozen lasagna for dinner last night instead of using his mother's recipe."

He tipped my chin up gently. "You know it's not your fault, right?"

"Yes." I said firmly. That I _did_ know.

"Do you have your own place? Somewhere you could stay?"

I shook my head. "No. We've lived together for the past year or so."

"Any money to leave town?"

"Nope. I moved in with him when I lost my job, and he never wanted me to get another one. He said women shouldn't work outside the home."

"No friends or family to help, nowhere to go, and no cash. Sounds desperate, Babe."

I sniffled as a few stray tears made their way down my cheek. "That's why I stopped in at Vinnie's. He's down at the courthouse all the time. I thought maybe he knew a lawyer or a judge who would be willing to help me. Give me some free advice or something."

"You still wouldn't have anywhere to stay." He pointed out reasonably.

I sighed. "Yeah."

"RangeMan has safe houses scattered around the area, but they're not really practical for something like this."

I looked up at him questioningly.

"You'd be staying there all by yourself, or I'd have to pay one of my men to stay there with you 24/7. Kind of expensive."

I blushed and nodded. I hadn't really thought about whether my plea for help would be a financial drain on him.

"We have apartments in this building for some of the employees. There's one open now. If you'd like, you could stay there. It would be much easier for us to ensure your safety if you were staying in this building. Plus there's a gym. Some of the guys could work with you on your self defense moves if you'd like."

I smiled. "That would be great!" I paused. "So what exactly _is _this building? What does RangeMan do?"

He leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped behind his head. "We provide security for individuals and businesses. We also do some skip tracing. Occasionally we help out TPD with a hard takedown."

I nodded, chewing my lower lip. "I don't want to mess up your business. I mean, I can't really afford to pay you for the apartment. But maybe I could do something to work it off?"

He gave me a huge grin.

I blushed a dark red and continued. "Maybe I could clean the building for you or something?"

He waved me off. "I already have a housekeeper who lives here in the building. She does all of the cooking and cleaning for me and the guys. Don't worry about it."

I thought harder. "Well, I do have a business degree. I could help out around the office. I'm pretty good at data entry, accounts payable/receivable, payroll. I'd even be willing to do secretarial stuff if you wanted me to."

He looked over at me thoughtfully. "Actually that might work. The guys hate doing paperwork. Myself included. If you'd be willing to take on some of that, we'd be more than even. All employees have the option of an apartment on the 4th floor, so you'd just be getting the same perks as everyone else."

I smiled. "That sounds great."

"We'll talk salary later, OK?" 

My mouth gaped open. "I thought the apartment and all the help you'd be giving me _would_ be my salary!"

He smirked. "We'll see what you're able to do, and then we'll talk." He shifted forward in his seat, folding his hands on the table. "Now. Do you want your boyfriend to _know_ that you've left him, or do you want to disappear?"

I looked at him, confused. "Is there a difference?"

He nodded. "Yeah. One makes it look like you left of your own free will. The other makes it look like you were kidnapped. Which scenario sounds good?"

I bit my lip and looked at him. "What do you think?"

He lifted his shoulders slightly. "Up to you, Babe."

"Well eventually I'm going to have to reappear, right? So then everyone will know that I wasn't kidnapped."

"True. But it may buy you some time in the beginning to figure out what you want to do." He studied my face. "Do you _know_ what you want to do?"

I shook my head. "I don't even know what my options are."

"Then I suggest you disappear without a trace. Otherwise your boyfriend is going to find you and try to make those decisions for you."

I nodded. "How do I disappear?"

"Who knows you're here?"

"Just Connie."

He nodded. "I'll give her a call. She won't say anything. No one else?"

"Mary Lou knows I was going to see Vinnie. That's it."

"You'll have to tell her to forget that part of your conversation. How did you get here?"

"I drove. I'm borrowing a family member's car for right now."

"It's in the parking garage downstairs?"

I nodded.

"That'll have to be moved. What did you bring with you? A purse? Clothes? Cosmetics?"

I nodded. "All of the above."

"I'll call Ella, my housekeeper. She can make a list of your cosmetics and replace them. Yours have to go back."

I gasped. "But why?"

"Those are the first things they'll look for. Your purse, your phone, your wallet, and your makeup. If it's all gone, they'll know you packed up and left. They may not notice a few articles of clothing, but the rest is a dead giveaway."

Damn. I never would have thought of that. I handed over my purse.

"Any cash you want to take out first, Babe?"

I snorted. "I thought we'd already established that I was penniless, Ranger. In fact, I don't know how I'm going to be able to rebuy all of the makeup that's in my bag downstairs."

He smirked. "We'll add it to your tab."

He pulled the car keys out of my purse and hit a button on the intercom system in the middle of the table. "I need you to come move a car."

He clicked off the intercom without another word. Seconds later there was a knock on the conference room door.

Ranger barked "Enter!"

A well-built Latino guy walked in. His skin was a few shades lighter than Ranger's, but he was just as well built. He gave me a grin and a quick nod before turning to Ranger. Ranger held out my car keys. "Bring up the bag that's in Stephanie's car. She needs to list the contents. And then I need you to return all of the items in the bag and the car to her boyfriend's house before he returns home from work at…"

He looked over at me. "6:00." I supplied.

They checked their watches. It was already almost 4:30. The other guy grabbed the keys and took off at a dead run for the stairs. He was back up in less time than I thought was humanly possible. And he wasn't even winded! Life was so unfair sometimes.

Ranger used the intercom to request (demand?) a notepad and pen. They were promptly delivered, and I made a complete list of all of the toiletries that I couldn't live without- from shampoo and hairspray to mascara.

The caramel skinned employee looked up at me. "Where do you normally keep this stuff? In the bathroom? Your bedroom?"

"Under the bathroom sink. Why?"

He grinned at me. "Because I need to put it back where your boyfriend thinks it belongs, Beautiful. What did you expect me to do? Just chuck it in the front door?"

I blushed. I hadn't really thought about that. "Well, in that case, my purse is usually on the small bench by the front door."

He nodded. "No problem." He turned to Ranger. "Where's the boyfriend's house?"

Ranger turned to me. "Babe?"

I cleared my throat. "Slater Street. 514 Slater Street."

Ranger looked at me. "Your boyfriend is a cop here in Trenton?"

I nodded. "Homicide." I said in a small voice.

Ranger raised an eyebrow and exchanged glances with the other guy. "What's his name?"

I didn't want to tell them. I knew that as soon as I told them, they wouldn't help me. They had been expecting to go up against a low level beat cop. Not a homicide detective. I looked down and twisted my hands in my lap.

Ranger reached across the table and gently tipped my chin up. He looked into my eyes. "What's his name?"

I bit my lip. "Please." I begged.

"Please what, Babe?" he asked, confused.

"Please help me. Everyone says they'll help me, and then as soon as I tell them his name, they walk away."

He walked around the table and sat in the chair next to me, grabbing my hands. "I promise not to walk away. We'll help you. But I need to know his name."

"Morelli. Joe Morelli."

I watched as Ranger's eyebrow nearly shot off his forehead. His employee let out a low whistle.

"You know him?" I asked weakly.

"We've met." He answered dryly.

I took a shuddering breath. "You're still willing to help me?" I asked in a small voice.

He nodded. "Yeah, Babe. We're still gonna help you."

_**TBC**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Ranger motioned for his employee to head out, and then he turned to me. "You're going to need to call your friend and tell her to forget that you were going to Vinnie's today. If she tells Joe that, he might be able to track you here."

He stood up and held out a hand, pulling me to my feet.

"Where are we going?" I asked, confused.

"My office. I have a drawer full of prepaid burn phones for just such occasions."

Mary Lou answered with her usual perfect Burg greeting. "Stankovic residence. Mary Lou speaking." 

"Hey, Mare. It's me."

"Steph! How are you, honey? Did you go to Vinnie's? Does he know anyone that can help you?"

"Yeah, that's actually why I'm calling. I need you to do me a favor."

"Anything. Name it."

"Forget what we talked about today. If Joe or anyone else asks, just tell them I called, and we chit chatted about nothing. The kids, dinner, Lenny's job. Nothing unusual."

"So forget about Vinnie." See? My best friend was smart.

"Exactly."

"I'm guessing he found someone who could help you?"

"Connie did, actually. Listen, Mare. I'm going to disappear for a little while, and I didn't want you to worry."

She sounded worried anyhow. "Are you safe, Steph?"

I glanced up at Ranger. "Yeah, I'm safe." He gave me a slight nod.

"Does anyone else know?"

"There's no one else to tell. I can't tell my parents. You know that."

She blew out a deep breath. "Oh man. Joe is going to go crazy when he finds out you left!"

"Well, actually, we're making it look like I disappeared."

There was silence on the other end for several seconds before Mary Lou finally responded. "Disappeared?"

"Yeah. All of my stuff is going back to the house. When Joe looks around tonight, he'll find my purse, my phone, my wallet, and my cosmetics right where they always are. The car will still be there. It'll look like I just vanished."

Mary Lou let out a low whistle. "He's gonna go ape shit! He'll think you were kidnapped or something!"

I let out a dry laugh. "That's kinda the plan. Listen, Mare, I've gotta go. Just please promise me that you won't say anything."

"I swear, Steph. You know I'd do anything for you!" She sniffed. "I love you!"

My eyes suddenly filled with tears, and my throat felt tight. "Thanks, Mare. I know, and I love you, too." I ended the call and handed Ranger back his phone. I took several deep breaths and got myself back under control. I refused to bawl like a baby in front of him. He was helping me, and I appreciated that, but I refused to be the damsel in distress any more than I already had been. I'd always wanted to be Wonder Woman, damn it! Not some pathetic wispy princess waiting for her prince to come!

Ranger let me get myself back under control and then he cleared his throat. When I looked up at him, he said "We're going to have to tell the guys here what's going on. Just the basics."

I nodded, and then a thought crossed my mind. What if the rest of his team didn't want to help me? What if they were afraid of the police? Afraid of getting into trouble?

Ranger saw my creased brow. "Deep thoughts, Babe?" he asked.

"What if your employees aren't on board with me hiding out here, disappearing, and being invisible?"

He smirked at me. "That's not an option."

"What do you mean 'that's not an option?' Of course it's an option! They could choose not to play along."

He shook his head. "No, they can't. RangeMan is run like the military. I'm ex-military and so are most of the guys working here. For all intents and purposes, I'm their C.O.- their commanding officer. They're given an order; they follow the order. They don't get to question it. They don't get to choose which orders they follow. If they don't follow it; they're fired."

I raised my eyebrows. "You'd fire someone if they didn't follow an order?"

Ranger lifted his shoulders a fraction of an inch. "Depending on the order, yes. In this case, definitely. We're a security company. If I can't trust my employees to keep someone safe, they need to go."

He steered me towards his office door. "Now. Let me show you your apartment and your cubicle. We'll set up a meeting to talk to all of the guys later this evening."

We stepped into the elevator and rode down to the 4th floor. The hallway was lined with doors. It reminded me a little of a hotel or maybe a college dorm. Ranger led me to a door with the number 6 on it and handed me a set of keys.

"This is your keyring. The fob gives you access to the parking garage. The key opens this apartment."

I unlocked the door, expecting an empty room. Instead, I found a fully furnished one-bedroom apartment. The furnishings were simple but not cheap and just enough to make it feel like home instead of like a hotel room.

"Wow!" I breathed as I walked around the space.

Ranger smiled. "You like it?"

I nodded. "It's wonderful!" I walked over and leaned on the couch, turning my head to try to cover my yawn.

Of course, Ranger saw it anyway. He walked up behind me and casually draped his arm over my shoulder. "Tired, Babe?" he asked playfully.

I blushed and nodded. "I, um, haven't been getting much sleep lately." I admitted. It was kind of hard to relax enough to go to sleep when you were afraid of the person sleeping next to you.

The playful grin fell off of Ranger's face, and his eyes grew hard. "How much sleep did you get last night?"

I blushed. "Total?"

He nodded.

"Maybe 3 hours? But no more than a half hour at a stretch."

He frowned. "That's not enough, Stephanie."

I felt tears prick my eyes, and I dug my fingernails into my palms, willing them not to fall. "I know. That's one of the reasons I left. I don't want to be afraid to go to sleep every night." Despite my best efforts, a small sob escaped.

Ranger's arm was still wrapped around my shoulder, and he gave me a gentle squeeze before turning me towards the bedroom. "Go lie down and take a nap. When you wake up, come up to the 5th floor and tell whoever's on monitors to find me. We'll finish talking with the guys and touring the building then."

He gave me a gentle kiss on the forehead. "Good night, Babe." And then he let himself out. I didn't need any further encouragement. I collapsed on top of the covers, fully dressed, and was out as soon as my head hit the pillow.

**Ranger's POV**

I left Stephanie in her apartment and walked back up to the 5th floor. I stopped at the monitor desk to speak to Cal and Hal. "A woman named Stephanie Plum is going to be staying here with us for a little while. I just walked her down to 4. She's taking a nap. When she comes back up, I want you to find me immediately."

They both nodded, accepting the order without further questions or explanations. I turned back towards my office and smirked, thinking about Stephanie's concern that the guys wouldn't follow my orders.

I fell heavily into my chair and scrubbed my hands across my face. Detective Morelli. Of all of the officers down at TPD, it would have to be that asshole. I remembered Stephanie's reaction. "You know him?" she had asked weakly. Yeah, I'd met the fucker.

One of our teams had been collecting Russell Wilson, a high bond skip, on Stark Street. The guy had pulled out a gun and taken a shot at the team, hitting Les in the shoulder. Without missing a beat, Les's partner Bobby Brown had pulled out his own gun and ordered him to get down on the ground. Instead, the skip had taken another shot, hitting Bobby in the leg. That was more than enough justification. Within seconds, Bobby had aimed and shot the skip. The upside was that the skip was no longer a threat to our team or to society at large. Also, we got our fee for collecting him. Bondsmen really mean it when they say _dead or alive_. Vinnie was more than willing to pay for the corpse. The downside was that that created a lot of paper work. For us, for the TPD, and for Vinnie.

I had gotten the call about the botched job and headed down to the scene to make sure that things were rolling smoothly. TPD had been called in so that they could process the scene, and I watched as one of the Homicide detectives swaggered up to Bobby. He was in his face, loudly chastising him for killing an innocent civilian. I bristled and headed over to talk to the detective myself.

I stuck out a hand and coolly introduced myself. "Ranger Manoso. Owner of RangeMan. And you are…?"

He looked at me like I was a dog turd stuck to the bottom of his shoe. "Detective Morelli. Homicide. We'll be charging Mr. Brown with manslaughter."

I clenched my jaw. "We have the proper paperwork to bring in Mr. Wilson. He drew a weapon and shot two of my employees before Bobby shot him in self defense. This is cut and dried, Detective."

Morelli had gotten up in my face, and I could smell the beer on his breath. "Do you think you can tell me how to do my job? You may have all of the other officers at the station fooled into thinking that your company is honest and above board, but not me. This isn't the first homicide I've been called in on where one of your employees shot someone in _self defense_." He sneered at me.

I shrugged. "No, it's not. And it probably won't be the last. You of all people should understand how unwilling most criminals are to return to jail. Some are even willing to pull a weapon on the person trying to bring them in. And my men are trained to defend themselves if they have a weapon pulled on them."

"So you believe that your men are justified in killing innocent civilians if they feel threatened?" he spat.

I narrowed my eyes. "This man was hardly innocent, Detective. But yes, if someone pulls a weapon on my men, they are well within their rights to defend themselves. If someone pulls a weapon on you, wouldn't you defend yourself?"

"I'm a cop!" he roared. "I have a right to carry a weapon and defend myself."

"My men and I have permits for all of the weapons we are carrying as well as permits to carry them concealed."

He stuck his finger in my chest. "You'd just better watch your step, Manoso. You may think that you and your company are above the law, but you're not. I know that your company operates in several gray areas."

I shoved his finger off of my chest. "You put that finger on me again, Detective, and I'll break it off."

He had staggered back and thrown a drunken punch at me. I let him hit me and then I punched him square in the jaw, knocking him to the ground.

He had come up swinging, and it had taken Tank and Cal to restrain me and several officers to restrain Morelli. I ended up spending the night in jail on a charge of assaulting an officer. My attorney had contested the charge, citing the fact that Morelli had reeked of alcohol and was most likely intoxicated. Unfortunately there was no way to do a breathalyzer the next morning to prove whether Morelli had been sober the night before.

A few of the other cops from the scene had talked him into dropping the charges. I had guessed that they knew he was drunk, and they were trying to save him the embarrassment of an investigation. The charges had been dropped, but the tension was still there. Morelli was like a dog with a bone. He wouldn't give it up. He was on the hunt to find RangeMan guilty of some kind of wrongdoing.

I let out a dry laugh. If he knew that his girlfriend was hiding out here, he would be furious.

**TBC**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Steph's POV**

I woke up feeling rested and relaxed for the first time in a long time. I stretched and rolled over, coming awake with a jolt. This wasn't my bed! Where was I? RangeMan. Connie had called her friend Ranger. He was helping me. _Phew._ I let out a deep breath, and my panicked heart slowed down just a tiny bit.

I was supposed to find Ranger when my nap was done. I looked at the clock. It was almost 9:00! I had slept for 4 hours! I jumped out of bed and ran into the bathroom. I quickly answered nature's call and then splashed some water on my face. My hair looked like I had stuck my finger in a light socket, but there wasn't much I could do about that right now. All of my hair products had been returned to Joe's house.

Joe's house. A shiver travelled the length of my spine. He'd be home by now. In fact, he would have been home for hours by now. What had he thought when he opened the door and called out "Cupcake, I'm home!" and got no reply? Was he angry? Worried? Scared?

I bit my lip. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Not the leaving part. That was _definitely_ a good idea. The hiding part. The being sneaky part. Maybe it would have been better to sit down with Joe and just explain that I was leaving. That I was tired of the arguing, the constant criticism, the abuse. That it was time for both of us to move on.

A little niggling thought at the back of my brain worked its way forward. There must have been a reason you chose to hide, Stephanie! Why? Because I didn't know how he would react to that kind of discussion. Not true! You chose to hide because you knew _exactly_ how he'd react to that kind of discussion, and you didn't want to deal with it!

I blew out a frustrated sigh. Well, it was too late now. I'd already made my decision, and Ranger and his men had already helped me to set things in motion by returning my belongings to the house. It was too late to second guess myself now.

I pulled the ponytail holder off of my wrist and yanked my hair back and away from my face. I grimaced when I noticed the new bruises that showed this way. When my hair was down, it covered my cheeks and neck. When I pulled it back, you could see the handprints peeking out from the neckline of my cowl neck sweater.

I bit my lip. Which was it? Crazy hair or handprints? Screw it! The guys were already going to see the large bruises on my face. They might as well see the ones on my neck, too. Decision made, I headed for the door, grabbing my keys on the way out.

I took the elevator up to the 5th floor and stepped off. Ranger had said to look for the guys on monitors, but I wasn't really sure what he meant by that. I wandered over towards the cubicles and saw two guys watching several computer screens. The displays seemed to be an endless rotation of businesses. They were probably monitoring their security cameras.

One of the guys looked up. "Are you Stephanie Plum?"

I nodded, surprised that he knew my name.

"Ranger asked us to let him know as soon as you were done with your nap. Wait right here, and I'll call him."

"Thanks."

He smiled and picked up the phone on his desk. "Sir, Ms. Plum is awake and standing here by the monitors."

He hung up and turned towards me. "He'll be right out."

Sure enough, just a few seconds later, Ranger strode through the door and walked over to me. "How was your nap?" he asked quietly.

I blushed. "I can't believe I slept for four hours! Why didn't you wake me?"

He shook his head. "You obviously needed the sleep, Babe. No way was I going to wake you."

I reached out a hand and touched his arm. "Thank you. For everything. I don't know if I'll be able to pay you back for all of this, but I'm going to try. You want to take me to my cubicle? I can get started now if you want."

He just shook his head. "You can start tomorrow. Right now I thought we'd eat dinner and then meet with the guys."

As soon as he mentioned food, my stomach growled loudly. I think Ranger actually jumped. I shrugged my shoulders at him. What can I say? The beast was on the prowl!

"You didn't eat yet?" I asked him.

He shook his head. "I had some things to catch up on. I figured I'd eat with you when you got up."

I smiled. "Thanks."

Ranger showed me where the break room was and explained that Ella always kept it stocked with healthy food, snacks, and drinks. I was a little bummed at the lack of TastyCakes and Coke, but I figured I could survive. For now.

Ranger grabbed us some turkey subs, fruit, and bottled water, and we made our way back to his office. He spread everything out on the coffee table, and we sat down on the couch to eat.

He glanced over at me. "Wanna tell me how you got those handprints around your neck?"

I blushed. "Not really."

Ranger nodded. "You don't have to, Babe, but sometimes it helps to get that stuff off of your chest. Plus you're going to have to talk to the guys here about it a little."

I looked down at my hands. "Joe wanted me to quit taking my birth control pills." I paused, trying to decide what to say next.

"And you didn't want to?" Ranger supplied.

"No, I didn't want to. I could never forgive myself if I brought a child into an abusive relationship like that. And I knew that if I got pregnant, there was no way I could leave."

Ranger nodded. "And Joe didn't agree with your point of view."

I shook my head no. "He wants kids. He wants the perfect Burg life. Dad goes off to work during the day while the good little wife stays home and cleans, cooks, and takes care of the 2.5 kids."

"How long have you and Joe been dating?"

"About 2 years."

"And this was the first time you guys had discussed kids?"

"No. I knew he wanted them. And he knew I didn't. At least not right now. But I think he thought he could change my mind."

"And when he couldn't…?"

"He got pretty upset." I bit my lip, forcing the tears back. "He grabbed my throat and told me that I was being selfish. That I was keeping him from having what he'd always dreamed of. I couldn't breathe. Then he let go and apologized. Said he understood, and that he'd never force me to have kids if I didn't want them. But in the middle of the night, I woke up and saw him going through my nightstand drawer. He thought I was asleep, but I watched as he took out my birth control pills and walked into the bathroom. I heard a flush, and sure enough, the next morning the container was empty."

Ranger looked furious. "Why would he do that to you?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I gave up trying to figure out his motives a long time ago. I guess he figured that he wanted kids, and he was justified in doing whatever he had to do to get them. But I couldn't stay there any longer. That was the last straw for me. When I opened that case this morning and saw that all of my pills were gone, I knew I had to leave."

Ranger leaned over and grabbed my hand. "You made the right choice, Babe."

I blushed and looked down. "Thanks." I whispered.

I squeezed his hand tightly, drawing strength from him. I couldn't explain why I felt so comfortable around Ranger. You would think that after being in an abusive relationship with Joe for so long, I would be uncomfortable around men. But that wasn't the case with Ranger. Mary Lou teased me some times. She said I had a sixth sense over things and people. We jokingly referred to it as my "spidey sense." It was rarely wrong. It had started warning me about Joe months before he first hit me, even though I was too stupid to listen to it. And now it was telling me that Ranger was safe.

**R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S**

Ranger had called a company wide meeting for 10:30. The only people not in attendance were the two guys on monitors, and Ranger said that he would update them privately after the meeting. We were all packed into the largest conference room that RangeMan had. It was huge, but so were the RangeMan employees. And there were a lot of them! It was a tight fit.

I flinched as one of the guys brushed past me to get to his seat. Ranger noticed. He frowned and wrapped a protective arm around my shoulders, pulling me in close to him. He leaned down. "It's OK, Babe." He whispered soothingly. "None of the guys here would hurt you."

I nodded, wide eyed. I knew he was probably right, but the room was filling with huge, unfamiliar men, and I was starting to feel a little panicky. I grabbed for his other hand and soon I was digging my fingernails into his arm. "I can't do this." I hissed.

Ranger rubbed circles on my back. "Yes, you can, Stephanie. My men need to know what's going on. If we don't tell them, they won't know what to do. They may give Joe information about you without even meaning to."

I swallowed hard and sat down in the chair Ranger held out for me.

Ranger addressed the group. "Channel 62 does the news at 10:00 and then again at 11:00. This was on the 10:00 news, and I'm sure it will be on all of the other channels at 11:00."

One of the guys brought up a video feed and projected it onto a large screen at one end of the conference room.

I watched in horror, my eyes glued to the screen as a large picture of me appeared. The newscaster was narrating over top of it. "Trenton police are investigating the disappearance of Stephanie Plum this evening. Ms. Plum is a lifelong resident of the Chambersburg section of Trenton. She is 33 years old, approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall and 130 pounds with curly brown hair and blue eyes. Ms. Plum's fiancé, a Trenton PD Homicide detective had this to say."

The screen flashed to a video of Joe outside his house. He was in the middle of giving a statement at a press conference. He looked anguished. "All of Stephanie's belongings are here- her purse, her phone, her wallet, her car. Clearly she did not plan on leaving. None of her friends or family have heard from her since early this afternoon."

He looked down for a minute before gazing back into the camera. His eyes were filled with tears. "We're looking for you, Cupcake! Wherever you are, we'll find you!"

Then he begged. "If you have any information about Stephanie's disappearance, please call TPD. Any information at all may help."

The screen flashed back on the newscaster. "As Detective Morelli said, anyone with information about the whereabouts of Stephanie Plum or her abductors should call TPD. That number is…"

The feed was shut off, and all of the guys looked over at me. Most of their faces were blank, but I could read emotions from some of them. Confusion was the predominate one.

Ranger stood up. "I'm sure you have figured out that this is Stephanie Plum." He gestured towards me. "RangeMan is helping Ms. Plum disappear for right now." He raised an eyebrow at me. "Can you tell the guys a little bit about what's going on?"

I nodded and stood up. I could feel my hands trembling, and I gripped the table hard, trying to make them stop. The guys were all staring at me, and I was starting to get even more nervous. Ranger moved behind me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. He leaned down and whispered. "It's OK, Babe. We're all here to help you. Just tell the guys what you told me."

I took a deep breath. "I'm here because I need help." The employee who had taken care of returning my car smiled and nodded encouragingly.

"Detective Morelli, Joe, and I have been dating for about 2 years now. We're not engaged. I don't know where the newscaster got that from." I looked down at the table and Ranger squeezed my shoulder gently. "Joe is a great guy, but when he drinks he can be really mean. And he's been drinking a lot lately." I looked up and blinked back a few tears.

"He's been physically abusive for a while now, and I decided today that I was done. My cousin is Vincent Plum, Vinnie. He owns the bail bonds company that a lot of your skips come from. I went to his office today looking for help. I thought that maybe he would know of a lawyer or a judge who could give me some advice." I looked up and saw all of the guys staring at me. "His office manager, Connie, called Ranger, and here I am." I finished weakly.

Ranger spoke up then. "You are all aware of how Detective Morelli behaves when he is under the influence of alcohol." The men nodded, angry scowls on most of their faces. "No one is to know that Stephanie is here. You will not talk about it out of the building at all, especially not in a public place. And if you are questioned by Detective Morelli or anyone else on the TPD, you have never met Stephanie and you know nothing at all about her disappearance. Are we clear?"

There was a low rumbling of "Yes, sir." from around the room.

Ranger nodded. "Dismissed."

_**TBC**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Ranger's POV**

I can't explain it. I have an absolutely irrational need to protect this woman. Why? Was it because she was Connie's friend, and I had agreed to help her? No. It was more than that. It wasn't because she was pretty. She was, but I'd been around beautiful women before, and they hadn't affected me the way that this girl had. There was just something about her. Something that made me want to move heaven and Earth to give her whatever she wanted, whatever she needed.

Maybe it was because she seemed so sweet, so innocent. In spite of what she'd been through, she was still trusting. At least, she trusted me. And that was something I wasn't used to.

It wasn't in my best interest to want to help her, protect her, comfort her. She was Detective Morelli's girlfriend. Well, I'm guessing ex-girlfriend now, but still. The guy was already following us around, double checking every case we were involved in, checking the condition of every skip we brought into TPD. I had no idea why he hated us so badly, but I could only imagine the fallout if he ever found out that Stephanie had stayed here when he thought she had been kidnapped.

But I couldn't tell her no. Not after she had looked at me with those big blue eyes, pleading for me to help her. The absolute desperation on her face, the hopelessness in her eyes, there was no way I could turn her down. Plus I had promised Connie.

I had asked Tank, Lester, and Bobby to stay after the all-RangeMan meeting. I wanted to introduce Stephanie to the Core Team and let her know that they would help her with anything she needed if I wasn't available.

iibg

We were standing together at the head of the table while the rest of my men filed out. Tank, Lester, and Bobby were moving towards us, and Stephanie took a step backwards, pressing herself tightly up against me, her ass pressed firmly against my crotch. Any other time I might think that she was trying to come on to me, but I could see her hands shaking just slightly in front of her. After everything she'd been through in the past 24 hours, she was losing her grip on her nerves.

I put my hands on her shoulders, and she seemed to relax. I rubbed gently up and down her arms- shoulder to elbow, and she melted back against me. I felt like my chest had swelled three sizes. For some reason, my presence calmed her and gave her comfort.

Bobby stepped up first and nodded. "Ms. Plum, I'm Bobby Brown."

She smiled hesitantly. "Nice to meet you, Bobby, but please call me Stephanie or Steph."

He nodded and smiled back. "OK, Steph."

Tank stuck out his hand. "Tank Sherman."

She raised her eyebrows at him. "Your mother named you Tank?"

He almost smiled. "No, ma'am. It's a nickname from the Army that just kinda stuck."

She smiled and shook his hand. "I can see why."

Lester grinned and kissed her hand. "Lester Santos, at your service!"

She blushed. "Thanks for taking all of my stuff back to Joe's house."

Lester nodded. "My pleasure." And I knew he meant it. He hated Joe almost as much as I did.

I rested my hands on her shoulders. "Any of my men would help you if you needed something, but the four of us make up RangeMan's Core Team. Try to find one of these guys if I'm not available, OK?"

She nodded.

Bobby caught my eye and raised a brow. I shook my head, and Steph looked between the two of us, her forehead wrinkled. "Are you guys reading each other's minds or something?"

I gave her a small grin.

"ESP?" she asked.

My smile grew wider. "Something like that."

Tank, Bobby, and Lester just stared at me. They weren't used to seeing me smile. It was bad for the bad ass image I tried to portray around the office and on the streets.

I turned to Stephanie. "We need to document your bruises, Babe. If you decide to press charges against Morelli later, you're going to need proof."

She bit her lip and nodded. "OK. So what do we need to do? Take some pictures?"

I gave her a quick nod. "Yeah. Bobby is our staff medic. He can examine your bruises and document them for you."

She stiffened just slightly, sucking in a deep breath. "OK." She said weakly.

Without even thinking about it, I reached down and grabbed her hand, squeezing it. "Would you feel better if I went with you?"

She let out the deep breath she had been holding and nodded her head, looking at me gratefully. "Yes!" she breathed.

I looked over at Bobby. He was wearing a shocked expression, but as soon as he saw me looking at him, he quickly wiped the emotion from his face. "Are you ready now?" I asked him.

He swallowed and nodded, motioning for us to go ahead of him. I walked her down to the third floor, which consisted mostly of Bobby's clinic. I took her into one of the exam rooms and looked back at Bobby. "What do you need her to do?"

"Well, first I thought we could just talk a little bit about the kinds of injuries that you've experienced. If we can make some sort of a list or timeline, that would be ideal. And, of course, anything that we can substantiate with evidence- like pictures- is even better."

I nodded and looked over at Steph. She was chewing on her bottom lip, an expression of concentration on her face. "Well, I moved in with Joe about a year ago. At first everything went pretty well. He had just been promoted, we were together. It was like he had everything he wanted. Then the job started getting really stressful. He started complaining that he had heartburn all the time and that he was going to end up with ulcers. He'd chug Maalox straight from the bottle and pop Tums like they were candy." She stopped and looked up, blinking back tears.

I squeezed her hand, encouraging her to continue. "It must be really terrible, you know? To work as a Homicide detective. To see dead bodies all the time and to have to investigate the kind of people who would want to murder someone. I felt so bad for him. Some nights he would come home and just look defeated. And it seemed like three or four nights a week he'd get a page in the middle of the night and have to leave. All of the gangs waited until then to have their shootouts, or at least that's how it seemed. Then he'd work for hours on end and come home and just collapse, exhausted."

She let out a deep breath, and I rubbed my thumb over the back of her hand. "But after a while, I guess the Maalox and Tums didn't cut it. Joe has always liked beer. We'd have a couple with pizza or subs whenever we watched a game, or he'd open one after a long shift. But pretty soon, he was drinking heavily."

"When was that, Steph?" Bobby asked quietly.

She sat quietly for so long that I wasn't sure if she was thinking about her answer or if she had decided not to answer at all. Finally she blew out a breath. "About 8 months ago, maybe?"

Bobby nodded. "And is that when he started acting abusive?"

Steph nodded wordlessly.

I rubbed the back of her hand and tugged on it gently so that she'd look at me. "That may _explain _the behavior, but you know that doesn't _excuse_ it, right?"

She nodded again.

I continued "The guys here at RangeMan have very difficult, stressful jobs, but we would never abuse a woman."

She squeezed my hand. "I know." She whispered.

"Has anyone else seen this behavior from him?" Bobby asked.

She didn't answer right away, but he was patient. He just sat and waited for her to continue. Finally she was able to reorganize her thoughts and keep going.

"I wasn't the only one who was seeing it, but I was the one who seeing the worst of it, and the most of it."

"Who else saw this behavior?" Bobby asked quietly.

Stephanie bit her lip. "Some of the other cops. Guys that Joe and I have known forever. They brought him home a few times when they thought he was too drunk to drive himself home. They thought they were doing me a favor." She laughed dryly. "I would have been better off if they had just left him at the bar."

She shook her head. "A few times he was even drunk at the scene of some of his cases. I thought for sure that would draw attention to the problem, but it didn't. The guys kept trying to help him, trying to cover for him. The behavior just kept escalating."

She gently pulled her hand from my grip and covered her face. "I went to the women's shelter about 3 months ago. I told them what was going on, and they were all set to help me. Then they had me fill out the paperwork. I had to list Joe's name, address, occupation, and physical description in case he came into the shelter. They said it was so they could protect me. So they would know not to let him in."

She shook her head sadly. "But it didn't work out that way. Somehow Joe found out where I was. He showed up at the center and demanded to see me. He flashed his badge around and threatened the people who run the center. They operate solely on donations, support from the city, and tax levies. He said that he could get the center closed down. That he knew people in high places. They could either fine them with so many citations that it would bankrupt them, or they could get their funding pulled. I know they felt bad, but they turned me over to him. Just like a sacrificial lamb. They were sacrificing my safety and security to help all of the other women who were there already or who would need their help in the future. And I understood. I really did. But it still made me angry. I couldn't believe that they would knowingly let me leave with him, and then never even attempt to check up on me or file an anonymous police report, but they did."

She looked up at Bobby and me and whispered. "He was so angry when we left there, asking me what was wrong with me. Didn't I know how it would look if people found out I had been there? How could I do this to him? To us? He was in an absolute rage by the time we got home. He threw me up against the wall, and I'm pretty sure he broke a few of my ribs. They were sore and tender for a long time after that."

Bobby raised an eyebrow at her. "Did you go to the ER to get them checked out, Steph?"

She shook her head. "No. Joe didn't want anyone to know what happened, and he said there was nothing they could do anyhow. He wrapped them and taped them himself."

Bobby frowned. "But how would he know if they healed correctly?"

Stephanie looked up at him, shocked. "Well, they feel OK now, so doesn't that mean that they healed OK?"

Bobby shook his head sadly. "Not necessarily. Were there any other times that you think he broke a bone?"

She looked between us and nodded. She held out her right leg. "I'm not sure, but I think maybe my leg. It's been a while, but it still aches a lot. Joe blames it on the change in the weather, but it's sore quite a bit."

I scrubbed my hands across my face and looked at her. "Did it seem like the behaviors were escalating over time? Or was it pretty consistent?"

She grabbed my hands back. "Definitely escalating." She whispered. "The past couple of weeks have been pretty bad."

Bobby nodded. "Let's document what's happened. Where are the bruises? Just your cheek and neck? Or do you have any in other places?"

She blushed furiously. "They're all over."

He frowned and nodded. Walking over to a cabinet in the corner of the room, he grabbed a hospital gown. "Put this on over your underwear. We'll start by taking pictures of everything that's not covered, and then we'll see where the other bruises are."

Bobby and I stepped out of the room and let her put on the gown. When we walked back in, she was sitting on the table trying to tug the gown down to cover her knees. Bobby walked over with the camera and a clipboard. She looked up at me nervously, and without a word, I crossed the room and took her hand. Bobby raised an eyebrow in question, but when I didn't offer an explanation, he just went about his job. True to his word, he took pictures of the bruises not covered by the gown first. Her arms, legs, face, and neck. He charted all of the information to explain the pictures.

Now I knew why she had been wearing jeans and a sweater with a high neck and long sleeves despite the mild weather. She had bruises everywhere. I could feel my jaw tighten as I looked her over. There were handprints on her arms where Morelli had clearly grabbed her, and I was guessing that the marks on her legs were from him kicking her.

Bobby paused and looked at her. "We just have to do your torso, and then you're done, Steph, OK?"

She took a deep breath and nodded.

Bobby had her turn around, holding the gown in front of her. He untied it and took pictures of the bruising on her back.

"Now slip your arms out of the gown, but keep holding it in front of you, Steph. Good. Now lay down on your back."

As she lay back, he grabbed a second gown from the cupboard. "We'll keep you covered, I promise."

She smiled gratefully at him and whispered "Thanks."

Bobby placed the second gown over her bottom half. It overlapped the other gown and covered her from her waist down. He gathered the first gown and pulled it up so that it only covered her bra. I sucked in a breath when I saw the bruising on her stomach. That asshole! I couldn't believe he would do that to her. And he wanted her to get pregnant with his children? Did he think that he could keep beating her like that if she were pregnant? She would have had miscarriage after miscarriage. And he probably would have blamed her for them and beat her more.

Bobby rearranged the top gown so that it again covered her from her shoulders to her waist. He looked at her, concerned. "Are there any bruises below your waist, Stephanie? Or am I done?"

She closed her eyes, took in a shaky breath, and nodded.

Bobby shot me a questioning look. I knew what he was wondering. It was the same thing I wanted to know. Which question was she answering? Yes there were bruises? Or yes he was done?

Bobby and I waited, but Stephanie just kept her eyes closed.

I squeezed her hand. "Babe?" I asked softly.

She sniffled and opened her eyes.

"Is Bobby done?"

She bit her lip and shook her head no.

Bobby looked at her. "Can you rearrange the gown so that we can see them Steph?"

She nodded. With shaky hands she pulled the gown down so that her hips and abdomen were exposed. There were fading handprints on her hips and some bruises below her bellybutton. I closed my eyes and concentrated on keeping my reaction hidden from her. Inside, I was chanting 'I'm going to kill him, I'm going to kill him, I'm going to kill him.' Outside, I was the picture of calm.

Once Bobby was done, he helped her to sit up and slip her arms back through the gown.

"Steph, I'd like to do some x-rays on your leg and ribs. If they were broken, the x-rays will show proof of that, and that would be great evidence. Also, if they haven't healed correctly, we can think about fixing that for you."

She nodded, and Bobby wheeled in a portable x-ray machine. Her eyes begged me to stay, so I slid a protective apron on and held her hand while Bobby positioned her on the table.

"No chance you're pregnant, right?" he asked.

"None." She said firmly.

Once the x-rays were taken, we left Stephanie to get dressed. I waited outside the exam room door, and Bobby hustled off to read the x-rays. When she was dressed, she opened the door, and we waited quietly for Bobby to return.

He strode through the door with a grim look on his face and put the x-rays up on a light box in the room. "You had 2 broken ribs." He informed Stephanie. "They haven't healed as well as they could have, but they'll be OK." He pointed out the lines on the x-rays that showed him the old breaks.

He pointed to the one of her leg. "Your leg, however, is another story. Because it was never set, the bones have shifted. That's why you have some soreness and pain in your leg. The best thing to do would be to rebreak it and set it correctly."

Stephanie's eyes opened wide. "You want to break my leg?"

Bobby nodded. "It's the only way to fix it, Steph. Of course, it's up to you, but if you don't fix it, you're going to continue having problems with that leg."

She chewed her lip and looked over at me. "What do you think?"

"I think that Bobby is the expert and that I always defer to him for anything medical." I told her honestly.

She nodded. "Can I think about it tonight and let you know tomorrow?"

Bobby nodded and handed her a brace. "In the meantime, try this and see if it helps at all."

I stood up and nodded my thanks at Bobby. Turning towards Steph, I gently tugged on her hand, helping her up.

"Ready for bed, Babe?" I asked quietly. The all-company meeting had ended around 10:45, and then we had spent a long time in Bobby's clinic getting all of her bruises and injuries documented. It was already after midnight.

She nodded and stretched. "I'm still pretty tired."

We rode the elevator to the fourth floor, and I walked her down to her apartment. I paused outside her door. "If you need anything, dial the control room, and they'll find me."

She blushed and nodded. "Thanks, Ranger." She whispered.

I gave her a light kiss on the forehead and turned to head up to 7.

**R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S**

I awoke to my landline ringing, my cell phone ringing, and someone banging on my door. What the hell was going on? Was RangeMan under attack?

I jumped out of bed and pulled on a pair of sweatpants. Grabbing my cell phone, I headed for the door. "Yo!" I answered tersely.

I could hear Hal's hesitant voice on the other end. "It's Stephanie, sir." He started.

"What's wrong?" I asked as I whipped open my apartment door. Lester was standing there, poised to knock again, and my question became as much for his benefit as for Hal's.

They both rushed to answer me, their answers jumbling together as I tried to wake up and listen to both of them at the same time. "She's screaming in her apartment. The door is locked. Should we go in and check on her? We don't know what's wrong."

My phone dinged, indicating a text message, and then it beeped, telling me that another call was coming in.

"I'm headed down to 4 now to check on her." I told Hal, ending the call. I grabbed my keys from the silver bowl by the door and ran towards the stairs. Lester followed close behind me.

I looked over at Lester. "She's in a secure building. Surely no one got in?"

He shook his head. "Not that I'm aware of."

"Then what could be wrong?" I wondered aloud.

When I hit the fourth floor landing, I pushed the stairwell door open and saw half of my employees crowded around Stephanie's apartment. They looked nervously over at me and parted so that I could reach her door.

They began mumbling explanations. "She's been screaming for a little while now. Woke me up out of a dead sleep. We didn't know what to do, Boss. Hope everything's OK."

I nodded at them, thanking them for worrying about her.

I pulled out my key ring, and found the Master key that opened all of the apartments. Hey, it's my damn building. I would never open one of their apartments without justification, but if I have it, all bets are off. If they want privacy, they can move out and get their own place.

I knocked on the door. "Stephanie?" I yelled.

I could hear her screaming even through the thick door. If she was saying something, I couldn't make out the words, but she sounded scared.

"Stephanie, I'm coming in!"

I heard more screams, and these sounded terrified. Decision made, I stuck the key in the lock and whipped the door open. I ran to her bedroom followed by half of my men.

I looked around for any kind of threat, but didn't find one. When I looked over at the bed, I could tell what had happened. She had gotten herself completely tangled in the sheets. She was still half asleep and panicked, fighting to get loose. Now that I was closer, I could make out some of what she was screaming. She thought that Joe was restraining her, holding her down. She was pulling against the sheets, trying to break free from his grasp. Unfortunately, the way the sheets were tangled, she was only succeeding in twisting them tighter around her.

The guys stood silently at the foot of her bed while I walked over to the side. "Shh, Babe! It's OK!"

When she heard my voice, she stilled for just a minute, and I quickly pulled the sheets off of her, releasing her from the restraints. Finally free to move, she sat up, breathing shallowly. She was trembling and looking around the room. Her gaze finally settled on me.

"Ranger?" she asked, uncertain.

I grabbed her hands in mine, rubbing them with my thumbs. "Yeah, Babe, it's me. I'm here. You're OK."

"What happened?" she asked weakly.

Lester handed her a bottle of water, but she couldn't get it open. I watched her fumble with the lid for a few seconds before taking it off of her and opening it. I gave it back and answered her. "You were having a nightmare, I think."

She took a big drink of water and nodded, her eyes bright with tears.

"Can you tell me what it was about?" I asked quietly.

"Joe." She answered softly.

I nodded, sitting next to her on the bed and wrapping my arm loosely around her shoulders.

As soon as I sat beside her, she flung her arms around me, spilling the water all over the floor. Huge sobs wracked her body, and I pulled her onto my lap, rubbing soothing circles on her back. "Shhh, Babe. It's OK. It was just a bad dream." I murmured softly.

The guys were glancing back and forth at each other, clearly surprised at my behavior. It looked like I'd have to take a half dozen of them to the mats tomorrow just to make sure that they didn't think their boss was turning into a softie.

When she finally calmed down, I helped her to lie back down in bed and tucked the covers loosely around her. I kissed her forehead. "Good night, Babe." I whispered.

When I stood up to leave, she grabbed my hand. I turned around and looked down at her. She sat up and bit her lip. "Stay?" she asked softly.

My eyebrow quirked up, and I waited silently to see if she would offer an explanation.

She pulled her hand out of mine and looked down. "Never mind." She whispered.

I tilted my head and looked at her. "Why do you want me to stay, Babe?"

She chewed on her lip. "I'm afraid to go back to sleep. I don't want to keep reliving the past few weeks. I just thought…" She cleared her throat. "I'm sorry. I'm being selfish. You need to get your sleep, too. I'm sure you have meetings and things scheduled for the morning."

I could see that her cheeks were a bright red before she buried her face in her pillow. I knew that she was mortified that she had asked a complete stranger to stay with her. But that just showed how badly she needed someone to stay.

I turned back towards the guys and jerked my head towards the door. They nodded and began filing out silently. Lester was the last to leave. He looked at me questioningly, and I mouthed, 'lock the door.' He grinned and walked out.

I slid into the bed behind her, and she rolled over quickly. "I thought you'd left!" she said surprised.

I just shook my head. "The other guys did, Babe, but you asked me to stay." I paused. "Did you change your mind? Would you like me to go?"

She smiled shyly and shook her head.

I pulled her back to my front and loosely draped an arm over her waist. "This OK?" I asked her.

She nodded drowsily. "Perfect." She whispered just before she fell back asleep.

_**TBC**_


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Many thanks to stephfan6511 for her help with the last chapter and this one. I appreciate the advice and ideas. This chapter wouldn't be the same without you, Babe! ;) _

_Thanks also to all of you who wrote a review or PM about domestic abuse. Many of you have been in that situation or have a close friend who has gone through it. Kudos to all of you strong survivors! And thanks for the encouragement that Steph's behavior is realistic. I appreciate it! :) _

**Chapter 6**

**Steph's POV**

I woke up and stretched, feeling rested and relaxed. I was staring at the ceiling, smiling, when out of the corner of my eye I saw a note propped up on the bedside table. Curious, I reached over and grabbed it.

_Stephanie,_

_I hope you are feeling better this morning. You were sound asleep when I left at 5:00, and I didn't want to disturb you. Ella picked up a few things for you last night. They're in the living room. Come up to 5 when you're ready._

_Ranger_

I headed out into the living room, curious to see what Ranger's housekeeper had picked up for me. I was hoping that there was a pair of underwear and some kind of top. Ranger had said that it was probably OK to keep the few outfits that I had packed, but I wasn't willing to take any chances. I had sent it all back. I wasn't sure what I was going to do for clothes this morning, but I figured I could wing it. It would be no big deal to rewear my jeans and bra from yesterday, but I'd rather not have to reuse the sweater and underwear.

Last night I had peeked in the bedroom closet, and I had found a few spare RangeMan uniforms in a couple different sizes. The smallest shirt was a Large. It had made a fantastic nightgown last night, but it would be awfully big to wear today. And there was no way that the pants would fit!

I found a small wicker basket sitting on the coffee table. I peeked inside and let out a surprised gasp. Everything that had been on my list was in the basket- shampoo, makeup, hairspray, mascara, everything! Ella had also left a note saying that Ranger had taken her my jeans and sweater from yesterday. She was washing them and would have them back to me by lunch. She offered to pick me up some clothes; I just had to stop in and see her or call her to let her know what types of clothes I wanted and what sizes I needed. I shook my head. I wasn't used to having my own personal shopper!

I bit my lip as I looked around the room. That didn't solve the problem of what I was supposed to wear _now_, though. It was already 8:00, and Ranger had said that he would show me what he needed me to do today. I couldn't very well stay in my apartment until Ella had my clothes ready. With a resigned sigh, I took a shower and then walked back to the bedroom closet and started rooting around. I pulled out the smallest pair of black cargo pants and rolled them up a few times at the ankle. I found a belt and used my new nail file to add a hole where I needed it. The extra length of belt had to be tucked into the belt loops all the way around to the back of the pants. I pulled out another black T-shirt, size Large, and slid it over my head. Since I had actually done something with my hair, I could leave it down and curly today. That meant my ponytail holder was free to pull my T-shirt tighter. I grabbed all of the excess fabric towards my back and held it in place with my hairband. Ta-dah!

I looked at myself in the mirror and grimaced. I looked like a little girl who was playing dress-up in her daddy's closet! I sighed and pulled on a huge pair of black socks and my sneakers. No use worrying about it! Right now I had no other options. It was already 9:00, and I was determined to get upstairs and get to work. I was going to make myself useful around here if it killed me! I was feeling terribly guilty about how Ranger and his staff had gone out of their way to help me, and I wanted to give something back.

I grabbed my keys and took the elevator up to 5. I walked though the control room, and Lester gave me a huge grin. "Beautiful! What on Earth are you wearing?"

I blushed and crossed my arms in front of me. "This was my only option this morning."

He shook his head and put his arm around my shoulders, steering me towards Ranger's office. I tried not to tense up, but I could feel a small tremor work its way from my neck down my back. Lester felt it, too, and he gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze before he removed his arm.

He reached out and knocked on the office door, and Ranger barked "Enter!"

When he looked up and saw us standing there, his lips twitched into an almost smile. "Babe, what are you wearing?"

I bit my lip. "This was in the closet in my apartment."

"What happened to the clothes you brought with you?"

I fidgeted. "I stuck them back in the bag. I know you said it would be OK to keep them, but I didn't want to take any chances."

Ranger nodded. "Then that would be my fault, Babe. Ella offered to pick you up some clothes last night when she got your toiletries, but I told her that you would be fine for a few days. I thought you had a couple of outfits here."

I blushed. "Nope. Nothing. Ella left a note that she was washing my clothes from yesterday, but she didn't think they'd be done before lunch, and I didn't want to wait that long."

Ranger raised a questioning eyebrow at me. "Why not?"

I chewed my lip. "Well, you said you'd show me what you needed me to do today, and I wanted to get to work."

Ranger just shook his head. He leaned over and picked up the phone. "Ella. I need you to pick up some clothes for Stephanie. I thought she had stuff here, but she had Lester take it all back yesterday. She's wearing a ridiculously huge uniform right now." He paused and looked over at me, his lips twitching. "This afternoon will be fine."

He hung up the phone and turned to look at me. "Ella has a pretty full morning, but if you stop by her apartment this afternoon she'll work with you to come up with a list of clothes that you need and sizes for everything."

I chewed my lower lip. "Thanks again, Ranger. I hope you asked Ella to keep all of the receipts for the things she left in my apartment this morning. I do plan on working off all of these expenses."

He just waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. It's not a big deal."

I blushed. "Well, it may not be a big deal to you, but it is to me. I'd really like to do the right thing here and pay you back."

Ranger tipped his head to the side and gave me an appraising look. "If it means that much to you, then I'll make sure that Ella keeps track of everything."

I blew out a relieved breath and nodded. "Yes, it does. Thanks."

He nodded his head once. "Well, I guess I'd better get you settled in to work if you're going to take care of your ever growing tab." He winked at me, and I blushed back.

Getting up from his seat, he grabbed a huge stack of files that were on the corner of his desk. "These are some of our client files from last year. I'd like an idea of how much we're spending on each client- man hours on service calls, equipment, things like that. If you could compile some sort of list, that would be great."

I nodded. That sounded easy enough. Ranger led me out onto the Control Room floor. The guys looked over at me curiously. I could tell that they weren't used to seeing a woman on the floor. On top of that, I was dressed ridiculously, so who could blame them for staring?

Ranger got me settled into a cubicle and handed me a slip of paper with a username and password for the computer system. He told me to let him know if I needed anything, and then he turned and walked back to his office.

I spent the next several hours wading through the files and organizing the information into a spreadsheet. I felt the presence of someone behind me, and I turned to find Ranger looking over my shoulder at the computer screen.

Since they usually had a blank expression on their face, I was guessing that these former military men didn't like to show emotions. I figured that years of training had them conditioned not to show any thoughts or feelings. Evidently they were a weakness in the military. Ranger, however, had temporarily forgotten that rule, because he was standing in the doorway of my cubicle looking stunned. He leaned over to take a closer look at the screen. "Babe, what is this spreadsheet?"

I had a feeling that he already knew. After all, he could see the headings on the form and the papers that were strewn across my desk. I started to get nervous. Maybe this wasn't what he had wanted me to do with this information after all.

I chewed nervously on my lower lip. "Well, you said that you wanted to keep track of your expenses per client, right?" Ranger nodded, so I continued. "Well, I created this spreadsheet. It will automatically import any figures that are entered into the related documents. So every time one of the guys logs man hours on a specific account, it will roll over to this sheet. Also, any time a piece of equipment is tied to a job, it will roll over to this sheet. I was just working on adding the fields to allow their monthly security payments to show as credits against their account. I thought after I did that, I'd add in a percentage field."

Ranger quirked an eyebrow at me. "A percentage field?"

I nodded. "Yeah, that's the most effective way to show whether the account is profitable for you or not. Once I have all of the costs and credits associated with the account, the percentage field will show a percentage of profitability. For example, if a client is paying $500 a month for services, but you are paying out $400 a month to the guys for man hours related to customer requests for service, your profit is only $100 a month, or 20%. That might be an account that you would want to drop or renegotiate with. On the other hand, if your client pays $500 a month, and you are only paying out $100 a month, your profit is $400, or 80%. That's definitely a client that you want to keep."

I looked up at Ranger and found him staring at me wide eyed. He shook his head slightly. "And you have these figures for all of our accounts?"

I nodded and gestured to the file folders. "Well, all of the ones you gave me."

"Can you present this at our Core Team lunch meeting? I think the other guys would be very interested to learn how we can assess which accounts are profitable."

I smiled shyly. "Sure, if you want me to. Do you want hard copies of the information, or is it OK if I use the computer and projector?"

"Whatever's easiest for you, Babe."

"So this is OK then?"

He shook his head. "More than OK! I never imagined that you would be able to get so much information from those sheets."

**R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S**

When I presented my spreadsheet to the Core Team, they were shocked. I could tell that they hadn't had very high expectations for me. They knew that Ranger was having me do some computer and secretarial work, and I think they thought that was all I was capable of. But I proved them wrong!

They just sat there shaking their heads. Bobby spoke up first. "This will definitely help us out when it comes time to renegotiate client contracts."

I nodded. "And with the documents that are tied to it, you can justify an increase in rates easily. You'll have all of the documentation to show your client how frequently they take advantage of your customer service. You may even be able to give them an option of a higher flat fee per month with unlimited service, or the current fee per month with charges per service call."

Lester shook his head. "That's brilliant!"

I blushed. "Thanks."

Ranger shook his head. "You really do have a good mind for business, Stephanie. I appreciate all that you've done so far, and I'm looking forward to seeing what else you can come up with."

Tank leaned over the table. "Do you have any experience designing a system for payroll?"

I nodded. "Yes, I created the program for E. E. Martin, why?"

His face broke into a wide smile. "Because I have to enter everything manually, and I hate it. Any chance you could help me out with that?"

I grinned back. "Sure thing!" I looked over at Ranger. "Does each employee have a company ID number?"

He quirked an eyebrow at me but nodded.

I looked back at Tank. "Then I have an easy solution for you."

He leaned forward, his hands clasped on top of the table. "I'm listening."

"We just need to write a simple program for the server. When an employee comes on shift, it will be their responsibility to log into the computer system and clock in using their ID number. When they leave for the day, they log back in to clock out. The program will automatically store their hours for the week. If you add in their pay rate, it will compute their salary for the week."

Tank stared at me wide eyed. "If you can really write a program like that, I would appreciate it!"

I nodded. "No problem. That's what I did at E. E. Martin, and it worked pretty well."

Lester spoke up. "What if one of the guys forgets to clock in?"

"They fill out a paper time sheet and a supervisor manually overrides the system to enter it."

Bobby nodded. "You could do the same thing for jobs where we leave right away and the guys don't have a chance to clock in."

Ranger leaned forward. "Occasionally we pay hazard pay or dangerous duty pay when we go out after skips. Could the system account for that?"

I nodded. "I could create separate pay categories, and Tank would have to pick which applied each week. At E. E. Martin, I only had two- regular pay and holiday pay. The supervisors would go in and select the number of hours and the pay rate. So if I worked on a holiday, my supervisor would select 32 hours as straight pay and 8 hours as holiday pay. The system did all of the calculations, the supervisor approved it, and forwarded it on to accounting to cut the checks."

Tank got a huge grin on his face and reached across the table to shake my hand. "Welcome to RangeMan, Steph!"

**Ranger's POV**

To say that Stephanie had shocked the Core Team at our meeting today would be a huge understatement. When she finished explaining the profitability chart, I thought the guys' eyes were going to bug out of their head. But she really sealed the deal when she agreed to help Tank with a payroll system. That guy _hates_ payroll. It takes him hours every week just to enter the guys' times. If Stephanie's new system actually works, he is going to be her new best friend.

After her presentation, she left to go back to her cubicle, and the guys pounced. "Did you know she could do all that? Did you offer her a job? Is she going to be working here full-time? What else can she do?"

I lifted my hands up. "Stephanie and I talked yesterday. She felt guilty taking all of our help- the apartment, self-defense lessons, a safe place to stay- without paying us back in some way. She offered to clean the building, but I told her that we already had Ella. So she volunteered to do some office work. Computer and secretarial stuff mostly. I figured she could answer phones and do some filing. Maybe help you guys out a little with paperwork. I had no idea she could do all of this."

Tank nodded. "Well, now that you know, what are you going to do about it?"

"Offer her a full-time position, obviously. She wants me to have Ella keep track of her expenses so that they can be deducted from her pay, but I can already tell that she's going to increase our profitability." I looked over at Tank. "She's already figured out a way to make your day more productive by simplifying the payroll process."

The guys nodded.

We wrapped up our meeting and headed back out to the floor. Bobby and Lester were going after a skip this afternoon, and Tank and I had client meetings. I peeked into Stephanie's cubicle, and she turned around and smiled at me. I could see Tank's payroll program taking shape on her screen. She was a hard worker; that was for sure. I shook my head and walked back to my office. Just more proof that Morelli was an ass.

**R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S**

Tank and I had spent the better part of the afternoon in and out of client meetings. I preferred not to do face to face meetings. I would much rather be out on the streets and doing the physical side of the job, but being the CEO comes with its own set of responsibilities. And one of those responsibilities is meeting with clients, especially high level clients.

We were headed back to RangeMan when my phone rang. I pulled it out and checked the display. The Control Room. Since I was driving, I flipped it over to Tank.

He answered with a "Yo!"

His eyes glanced over at me. "He's driving. Is it urgent?"

Without a word, Tank handed me the phone. Fuck. Evidently it _was_ urgent or Tank wouldn't be handing me back my phone.

"Yo!" I barked.

Cal cleared his throat. "Officer Gazarra with the TPD is here. He wants to speak with you about the Stephanie Plum investigation."

Fuck. "Does he have a warrant?"

"No."

"Where is he?"

"Right now he's in a conference room on 2."

"Are you monitoring the conference room?"

"Yes, sir. Nothing unusual. He's just waiting to speak with you."

"Are Lester and Bobby back yet? Have him speak with them."

Cal cleared his throat again. "He specifically asked for you. He said he'd wait until you got back."

"Fine. We're almost there." I ended the call and flipped my phone into the cup holder.

**R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S**

I walked into the conference room and took a good hard look at Officer Gazarra. He looked like death warmed over, and that was putting it mildly. There were dark circles under his eyes, and he was in need of a shave. I was guessing that he hadn't slept or showered in over 24 hours.

He stood up when I entered and stuck out his hand. I shook it and nodded politely at him. "Officer Gazarra. What can I do for you?" It was always best to tread cautiously in such cases. I intended on being polite to him until it was in my best interest not to be.

He scrubbed his hands across his face and gave me a dejected look. "I'm part of the team that's investigating the disappearance of Stephanie Plum. Have you heard about the case?"

I nodded once. "I saw the report on the news last night."

He hung his head. "Stephanie and I have been friends since elementary school." He gave me a sad smile. "She was the first girl I ever kissed."

I just sat and stared at him, my blank face firmly in place.

He cleared his throat. "I'm married to her cousin Shirley now, so Steph isn't just a good friend anymore. She's family. But I'm afraid that I haven't been a very good friend to her lately."

He looked up at the ceiling and took in a deep breath before looking back at me. I remained silent. It was never wise to offer more information than you were asked for, and right now Gazarra was telling, not asking. I planned on waiting as long as I could before opening my mouth. I wanted to know exactly why he was here before I said anything.

He caught my gaze and swallowed hard. "I know that RangeMan has sometimes been accused of engaging in activities that were maybe on the shady side of legal."

I raised an eyebrow at him, and he hurried to continue.

"I don't know if that's true or not, and frankly I don't care. All of your men have been nothing but professional when I've encountered them. It's just that I could use some help right now. From someone who might not be bound by legalities." He paused and looked up at me.

I leaned back, my elbows resting on the arms of the chair and my fingers steepled in front of me. "What kind of help?"

Eddie looked down. "I need to find Steph."

"What makes you think that RangeMan would be able to find her if her own fiancé, a Homicide detective, can't?"

Eddie's face grew pale, and he looked like he might be sick at any moment. "I'm afraid that he may have had something to do with her disappearance."

I sat forward in my seat. "Explain."

Eddie held his head in his hands, massaging his temples. "I think Joe's been abusing her." He whispered. "I'm afraid that he's hurt her and that's why no one can find her."

I gave him a cold glare. "You think that your good friend was murdered by her fiancé and that he dumped the body somewhere and you want me to help you find it?"

Eddie slumped back in his seat, swallowing heavily. "Oh, God!" he choked out. He rested his elbows on his knees and cradled his head in his hands. "Oh, God!" he repeated.

I watched him sit like that for a few minutes and then I interrupted his thoughts. "Were you aware that she was being abused?"

He sniffed and looked up, his eyes red rimmed. "I suspected it." He choked out.

"And what did you do about it?" I questioned coldly.

He shook his head and answered in a whisper. "Nothing. Not a damn thing. I left her all alone. She's one of my best friends, and I abandoned her."

I sat and stared at him. "Why did you suspect abuse?"

Eddie took a deep breath. "Her boyfriend, fiancé, whatever, has a family history of alcoholism. Lately he's been drinking pretty heavily. We've had to take his keys off of him several times." He looked me in the eye. "He's not a nice drunk. He's been in more barroom brawls over the years than I can count."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "So you knew he was drunk, you took away his keys, and drove him where?" I knew I was being heartless, but I couldn't believe that Stephanie's friends had known about his behavior and not done anything to prevent it.

He looked down. "Home." He whispered.

"Where his girlfriend was waiting." I stated coldly.

Eddie looked sick again. "Yes." He choked out.

"And he would beat her?"

Eddie sighed. "I only ever saw bruises on her one time. She had a black eye. When I asked her how she got it, she said she fell in the kitchen. I guess I wanted to believe her so badly that I overlooked a lot of other things. Like how possessive he was of her, how he ordered her around. Steph used to be the most friendly and outgoing person you'd ever want to meet, but lately she's been quiet and withdrawn. Just not herself."

"Did you ever ask her if she needed help? If she was in an abusive relationship?"

"No." he rasped.

"You're right. You haven't been a very good friend to her lately."

Eddie nodded. "I know. And now I'm afraid it's too late."

"Do you really think that her boyfriend is capable of murdering her?"

Eddie buried his face in his hands. "God, I hope not!"

I leaned across the table. "So why are you here?"

Eddie blew out a deep breath. "I know about the history between you and Detective Morelli. I knew that you would understand more than most people how he can behave when he's drunk. I know you guys do skip tracing. I was hoping that you'd be willing to take on Stephanie's case. I could get you a copy of the police report and evidence. I thought maybe you could use whatever resources you have available to search for her and to watch Morelli. To see if he might be involved."

"And you'd be willing to pay for these services?"

Eddie paled, but he didn't hesitate to nod. "You'd be contracting with me, not with TPD. I wouldn't want anyone else there to know. They might let something slip to Morelli. I don't know if I can afford you or not, but I'm willing to second mortgage my house if I have to to find Steph."

I looked at Eddie for a long time, reading the sincerity in his eyes. I cleared my throat. "Any information pertaining to this case would be confidential between you and RangeMan, correct?"

Eddie nodded. "Of course."

I stood up. "Wait here. I'll be right back."

I jogged up to the 5th floor and found Stephanie in her cubicle, happily typing away. She turned around and gave me a heart stopping smile. "Hey, Ranger!" she greeted me.

I smiled back. "You have a visitor on the second floor, Babe."

She instantly paled and started shaking. "But… I thought… Didn't we…" she stuttered.

I reached out a hand to soothe her. "Not Joe. Someone who can help us."

She took a deep breath and nodded. "Who?" she asked weakly.

"Eddie Gazarra."

"Eddie? I don't understand. Why would he be here?" her eyebrows her furrowed.

"He wanted to hire RangeMan to look for you. He was afraid that Joe had hurt you, and he wanted help."

She gasped and covered her mouth with a shaky hand. "Really?"

I nodded. "He's pretty upset and feeling like a lousy friend. He thinks he didn't do a very good job of helping you."

She shook her head sadly. "He didn't." she whispered.

I tugged on her hand. "Well, he wants to help now. And I think it would be good to have him on our side. He can help to keep us up to speed with what the TPD knows. It never hurts to have an undercover agent on your side."

She nodded and followed me down to the second floor.

I pushed open the conference room door and motioned for Stephanie to go in ahead of me. I watched as Eddie jumped up in disbelief and ran over to hug her, grabbing her around the waist and spinning her in circles. "Stephanie! Oh, thank God!"

_**TBC**_


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: Thank you so much for all of your kind reviews! I do a little happy dance every time that a review alert or message alert pops up in my e-mail in-box. :)_

**Chapter 7**

**Steph's POV**

I was shocked when Ranger told me that Eddie was here. I was even more shocked when he told me that Eddie had come to hire RangeMan because he thought Joe had hurt me.

I walked through the conference room door, and I watched as Eddie jumped up out of his seat. His face was pale, his eyes were wide, and his mouth dropped open in shock. He crossed the room in a few big strides and grabbed me around the waist. He spun me in circles, his face buried in my shoulder. "Stephanie! Oh, thank God!" he choked out over and over.

I could tell that he hadn't expected to find me alive and unharmed. He was holding on to me tightly, trying to reassure himself that I was OK.

"Eddie!" I gasped. "I can't breathe!"

Ranger stepped up behind me, placing his hand on Eddie's arm, and he immediately released me.

I took a step back, and Ranger wrapped his arm around my shoulders. I'm sure that he meant it to be comforting, maybe even friendly, but it made me feel protected and safe. I leaned into his side, and he gave my shoulder a small squeeze.

Eddie grabbed my hands, looking at me pleadingly. "I'm so sorry, Steph! So sorry! I've been a horrible friend! Please forgive me!" His voice cracked at the end, and he looked at me with tears in his eyes.

I had been angry at Eddie. Well, maybe more hurt and confused than angry. I knew that he was aware of Joe's drinking problem. Hell, he had delivered him to the house drunk as a skunk on more than one occasion. I just didn't understand why he hadn't helped me. Surely he had to know what was going on. Didn't he?

I looked over at him. "Did you know?" I whispered.

He lowered his head. "I suspected."

My eyes filled with tears and I bit my lip. "Why didn't you do anything about it?"

He shook his head. "I guess I just didn't want to believe that it was true. I've been friends with both of you for years. I didn't want to believe that something so horrible could be happening between two of my best friends."

I nodded and swallowed hard. "I needed you. I needed someone to help me. No one would help me. Everyone turned me away. My family, my friends, even the women's shelter."

Eddie pulled me against him for a tight hug. "I know." He rasped. "I failed you. I was a terrible friend. But I'm here for you now, I promise. Anything you need, Steph, anything." He leaned back. "Am I too late? Can you still forgive me?"

I reached up and brushed a few stray tears off my cheeks. "Of course I forgive you. You're one of my best friends."

He nodded and let out a relieved sigh. "Thanks. I know I don't deserve it."

I grabbed Eddie's hand and tugged, pulling him over to the table to sit down. Biting my lip, I looked up at him. "I saw the news last night. Everyone thinks I was abducted?"

Eddie nodded and ran his fingers through his hair. "Everyone's pretty panicked, Steph. Your family is just about hysterical. I think your mother had to be sedated last night. And this is the top case right now at the station. Almost every cop there came in last night, volunteered their time to help look for you."

My cheeks flushed, and I looked down. I hadn't really thought about how my 'disappearance' would affect everyone else. "I'm so sorry!" I croaked. "Do you think everyone will be able to forgive me?"

Eddie took my hands gently. "Hey," he said softly. "You don't need to worry about everyone else right now. You worry about you. I think when everybody hears what was going on, they'll understand your decision."

Ranger sat next to me and put his arm around my shoulders. "No one else was willing to help you. You did what you had to do. Don't second guess yourself."

I nodded silently. I agreed with what they were telling me, but I still felt guilty for upsetting everyone. I cleared my throat. "How is Joe handling everything?"

Eddie and Ranger traded a glance before Eddie looked back at me. "Do you really care how Joe's doing?"

I stared at Eddie in shock. "Of course I care! I know that what he did was wrong, and I'm not planning on getting back together with him, but we've dated for the past two years. I can't just pretend he doesn't exist."

He looked down and refused to meet my eyes. "He's pretty upset."

I stared at him, waiting for him to elaborate, but he didn't. "What aren't you telling me, Eddie?"

He glanced over at Ranger again, as if trying to decide how much to tell me. That immediately pissed me off. "Hey! I'm sitting right here! If you know something, tell me!"

"He's uncontrollable, Steph. He started out the night scared and frantic to find you. Sometime after midnight, he disappeared and no one could find him until about 3:30."

I looked at him, alarmed. "Where was he?"

Eddie sighed. "At least one of his stops was a bar because he came back drunker than I've ever seen him. But I was worried that he'd stopped somewhere else." He paused.

"To hide my body?" I asked softly.

Eddie scrubbed his hands across his face. "Yeah."

"So what happened when he came back?"

"He was out of control. We finally had to call Mooch to come and get him. He was screaming at the guys who were processing the house, refusing to answer questions, throwing punches, and destroying the place. He accused at least three of the cops, myself included, of having an affair with you."

I stared at Eddie open mouthed. "He did not!"

He just shook his head. "Once Mooch came to get him, we were able to finish processing the house."

"Did you find anything?"

"Nope. We assumed that if you left of your own free will, you would have taken some clothes, makeup, cash. At least your purse. But everything was there. Earlier in the night, Joe had searched the bedroom and bathroom and said that nothing looked out of place. So we were working with the idea that you had been abducted."

I nodded and looked over at Ranger. "You were right about the purse and makeup and stuff." I whispered.

He winked. "This isn't my first abduction, Babe."

I let out a surprised laugh at that, and Ranger squeezed my shoulder gently before folding his hands and placing them on the table in front of him. He turned to face Eddie.

"Is there anything else we should now right now?"

Eddie shook his head. "Not that I can think of. We have a hotline set up for tips, but so far we haven't had anything helpful. Tons of people have reported sightings, but none of them have panned out. Obviously. A few people reported seeing Steph driving around earlier in the afternoon, but the car was back at the house, so we dismissed those tips as irrelevant."

Ranger nodded. "Let us know if anything comes in that we need to be aware of."

"Will do."

Ranger looked at Eddie as if measuring him up. "You're sure that you'll be able to do this, Officer Gazarra? Complete confidentiality?"

Eddie nodded. "Without a doubt."

"And you have no problem keeping Detective Morelli in particular out of the loop? You don't feel the need to tell him that Stephanie is safe and secure and hiding out here at RangeMan?"

Eddie shook his head. "I thought he murdered one of my best friends. Even now that I know he didn't, I still can't forget that I thought he was capable of something like that. And it doesn't mean that he _wouldn't_ do something like that if he had the chance. I don't want Stephanie near him ever again."

Eddie stood up and stuck his hand out to Ranger. "You'll take care of her?"

Ranger stood up and shook Eddie's hand. He put his arm around my shoulder and looked down at me. "Absolutely." He reassured him, giving me a soft smile.

At his touch and his words, I blushed furiously, and a whole flock of butterflies began flapping their wings in my stomach. His tone sounded protective, intimate even. 'Stephanie!' I immediately chastised myself. 'You are not here to audition new candidates for Mr. Right! You are here to hide out from Mr. Wrong! As soon as things are settled, you'll be leaving. And you probably won't ever see Ranger again!' That thought depressed me. I liked Ranger. A lot.

Eddie's voice pierced my deep thoughts. "Steph?"

I snapped my head up. "Yeah?"

He grinned. "I'm leaving. I called your name three times. You OK?"

I nodded and blushed. "Just a lot to think about."

He walked over and wrapped me up in a tight hug. "I love you, you know, kiddo. If you need anything, you let me know, OK?"

I pulled back and smiled. "I will." I looked over at Ranger. "But I think I'm OK for right now."

Ranger nodded. "Anything you need or want, Babe, just let me know. I'll take care of it." He reached down and grabbed my hand, giving it a squeeze.

My stomach chose that moment to take advantage of Ranger's more than generous offer by letting out a loud growl.

I felt Ranger's hand twitch as he flinched at the loud noise. He looked at me in disbelief while Eddie snickered. I glared at Eddie. "Shut up!" I grouched.

Eddie just shook his head and walked out to the elevator.

Ranger dropped a kiss on top of my head. "Let me take Officer Gazarra down to the lobby, Babe, and then we'll find you something to eat."

I nodded my agreement and leaned against the wall, waiting for Ranger to take Eddie downstairs.

**R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S **

The elevator doors opened back up to show Ranger, but he didn't step out. Instead, he pushed the button to hold the doors open and motioned for me to climb on. "Would you like to join me for dinner, Babe?" he asked smoothly.

I looked up at him. "In the break room, you mean?"

His lips twitched. "No, I mean in my apartment. Ella usually brings my dinner up there."

"Up where?" 

"The 7th floor."

I tilted my head. "You don't eat in the break room?"

He shook his head. "It can be intimidating to eat with the boss. The guys are more comfortable if I eat in my office or in my apartment."

I nodded. That made sense.

"So would you like to join me?"

I bit my lip. "OK."

Ranger pulled out his key fob and pushed a button on it, and we rode up together in silence. When we got to the 7th floor, I looked around. There were only two doors off of the hallway. Ranger walked towards one of the doors and pressed the button on his key fob again. I heard several clicks as the apartment unlocked. He reached out and opened the door, motioning me through.

I walked in and stopped in the entry way. His apartment was definitely a lot bigger than mine! I walked in a little further and looked around curiously. There was a kitchen and dining room off to my right and a living room straight ahead. Two doors to the left held a bedroom and an office.

Ranger walked into the kitchen and picked up a phone on the counter. Punching in a number, he waited for someone on the other end to answer. "Ella. Could you bring up enough for two tonight?" He paused. "20 minutes is fine."

He hung up and walked over to me. "Do you want some wine while we wait for dinner?"

I nodded. "OK, but I can only handle about two glasses. Any more than that, and I can't be held accountable for my actions."

Ranger smirked. "Good to know."

We sat at the counter in the kitchen, drinking and talking while we waited for Ella. I nursed one glass of wine while we speculated whether or not any of the neighbors could have seen Lester return the car and other items. We had decided to ask Eddie about the neighbors' interviews when I heard the apartment door click open.

Ranger leaned down. "Ella's going to be curious, Babe. I've never invited a woman up here before. Just indulge her a little, OK?"

I looked up at him in surprise. He'd never had a woman up here before? Ever? My heart rate picked up just slightly. What did that mean? Before I could say anything, a short, plump Hispanic woman bustled into the kitchen, pushing a cart.

She had a friendly face that broke into a huge grin when she saw me sitting at the counter. She looked back and forth between me and Ranger, her smile growing wider. "You must be Stephanie!" she exclaimed, coming over to wrap me in a big hug.

I pulled back smiling. "That's me!"

"I thought that maybe you were Ranger's dinner companion this evening, so I brought something up for you." She walked over to the cart and bent down, pulling a laundry basket off of the bottom shelf. It was filled with clothes.

I gasped. I had completely forgotten to stop in to see Ella this afternoon! Between the Core Team meeting, working on Tank's payroll system, and the meeting with Eddie, it had slipped my mind. "But how did you…?"

She smiled and winked at me. "Well, Ranger had brought me your jeans and sweater to wash, so I just peeked at the sizes. Hopefully these things will fit you OK, but if they don't, just let me know. I'll get some replacements." She leaned in and whispered, "I wasn't sure what size bra you wear, though, honey. If you let me know, I can pick up a few."

I blushed and nodded, whispering the size in her ear.

Ranger grinned at us. "What are you two whispering about over there?"

I blushed furiously. "Nothing!"

Ella chuckled. "Nothing you need to worry about. Now, you two need to sit down and eat before everything gets cold!" She started to unload the cart and set the table. When she was finished, she gave us both a kiss on the cheek and told us to enjoy before wheeling her cart back out of the apartment.

Ranger just sat smirking, watching her go.

"What?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Nothing. That was actually a lot more painless than I thought it was going to be."

I tilted my head to the side. "What do you mean?"

He grinned. "I expected an inquisition about you and what my intentions were, why I had invited you up here."

I bit my lip. "So what are your intentions? And why did you invite me up here?" I wondered.

Ranger studied my face for a long time before he finally answered. "I don't know yet."

I nodded and continued eating. At least he was being honest, right?

I was starving, and the dinner that Ella had made was delicious. I was tearing through the chicken casserole, enjoying every bite until Ranger placed his hand on mine. I looked up and saw a pained expression on his face.

"Babe!" he ground out.

"What?" I asked around a bite of chicken.

"Do you always make those noises when you eat?"

I blushed. "Well, only if I like what I'm eating."

He shifted in his seat. "Could you like it a little less? You're killing me here."

My eyes shifted to his lap, where a rather large bulge was prominently displayed in his lap. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph! The guy was hung like a horse! I snapped my head back up, eyes wide, to find Ranger grinning at me. He had caught me looking at his crotch. Kill me now!

"At least we're both uncomfortable now." He teased.

I stuck my tongue out at him and finished eating my chicken, not even caring if I moaned through every bite. When it was all gone, I looked around for dessert. But I didn't see any. Seriously? He has a personal chef, and she doesn't make him dessert?

"Problem?" he asked, noticing my furrowed brows.

"No dessert?" I meant to ask it in a neutral voice, but it came out kind of sad and whiny.

He grinned. "Nope. That stuff'll kill ya, Babe."

I frowned. "One little piece wouldn't."

His grin grew wider. "Tell ya what. The next time you eat dinner with me, I'll have Ella make some kind of dessert just for you, OK?"

The next time? He was planning on inviting me up here again? I smiled back at him. "OK."

We gathered up our plates, taking them into the kitchen. I helped Ranger rinse them off and load them into the dishwasher. When we finished, he grabbed the bottle of wine. "Ready for your second glass?" he asked, lips twitching.

I grinned. "Sure."

He took the bottle and our glasses into the living room. Pouring us each a glass, he turned on the sound system. Classical music drifted from the speakers, and we sat next to each other on the leather couch.

I took a sip of wine and looked up at him. "Is RangeMan going to get in trouble for hiding me here while the TPD is looking for me?"

Ranger raised his shoulder just slightly. "It's a fine line, Babe. Technically, we haven't done anything illegal. You came here willingly, and we haven't withheld any information from the police who have come here. But, we haven't volunteered any information either. This falls into the category of morally right but legally gray, which happens to be RangeMan's specialty."

I raised my eyebrows at him. "Really? You do this kind of thing a lot?"

He smirked. "Abduct beautiful ladies? No, we don't do that a lot. We do the things that the police would do if they weren't bound by all the red tape. Morally right, legally gray."

I thought about that for a minute. It made sense. There were a lot of things that _should_ be done but couldn't be because of the bureaucracy involved. It was nice to know that there were people who could cut through all of that red tape.

I reached over and poured myself another glass of wine. Ranger raised an eyebrow at me but didn't say anything. I settled against his chest and took a deep breath for the first time in a long time. It was as if I had spent the last 6 months or so holding my breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop, waiting for something to happen. Finally I was somewhere where I could let my guard down and relax.

When I told Ranger all of that, he wrapped his arms around me gently, pulling my back against his chest. He dropped a kiss on my head. "I'm glad you feel that way, Babe." He whispered.

We sat like that for a long time, content to be silent. It was unusual for me to sit quietly. Ever. But it was comfortable to just sit here with Ranger. I didn't feel the need to fill every moment of silence with endless chatter. I could just relax and let my mind wander.

I felt my wine glass slipping through my fingers, and I jolted awake. I grabbed for the glass, afraid that it would fall to the floor. I didn't want to get wine or broken glass on Ranger's rug. 

"Easy, Babe." He whispered as he pried the glass out of my fingers. I immediately relaxed when I realized that he had been taking it out of my hand and setting it on the coffee table.

"You ready for bed?" he asked huskily.

I nodded and stretched, trying to stand up. I felt the room tilt, and I reached out a hand to grab onto Ranger's shoulder.

"You OK?" he asked, concerned.

I shook my head to clear it and nodded. "Yeah. I'm still half asleep. Plus I'm sure that third glass of wine didn't help any."

He stood up behind me. "You sure you're alright?"

I nodded.

He ran the tips of his fingers up and down my arms. "Will you be OK to stay by yourself tonight?"

I bit my lip and looked up at him. Would I? I didn't know. "I hope so." I answered weakly.

He frowned. "Do you want me to stay with you?"

I chewed on my lower lip. Yes, I did! But I also didn't want to be one of those ridiculous girls that cling to a guy. The annoying kind that guys just want to peel off of them and fling far, far away.

"What if I stay until you fall asleep?" he offered.

I shook my head. "No, I'm fine. I'm a big girl." I gave him a brave smile, trying to convince myself as much as him.

He looked unconvinced, but he nodded as he walked me out to the elevator, carrying my laundry basket.

"Good night, Babe." He said softly, giving me a kiss on the forehead.

"Good night, Ranger." I replied softly. The elevator doors closed, and I headed back to 4.

**R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S**

**Ranger's POV**

As soon as the elevator doors closed, I walked back into my apartment and called Lester.

"Yo!" he answered.

"I want someone to monitor Stephanie's apartment. If she starts having nightmares again, I want to be notified immediately."

I could practically _see_ Lester smirk through the phone. "Why don't you just go monitor yourself from the other side of the door?"

I snapped back at him. "Because she thinks she'll be fine."

"And you don't?"

"No, I don't. I think the abuse was so bad that she's suffering from some form of PTSD. That won't just go away on its own."

Lester gave a low whistle. "Didn't know it was that bad, Boss Man."

"Yeah, well you didn't see the bruises he left on her." I growled.

Lester cleared his throat. "I just saw her get off the elevator and enter her apartment. I go off shift in ten minutes. I'll personally stand outside her door and listen for any nightmares, OK, Cuz?"

"Thanks, Lester, I appreciate it."

"No problem, man."

I ended the call and headed in to take a shower and change into a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt. I had no doubt that Lester would be calling me soon, and this time I wasn't going to be naked when I got the call.

Sure enough, about a half hour later, my phone rang. Lester.

"Yo!"

"Hey, Cuz, Steph is having her nightmares again. I sent the rest of the guys back to their apartments, but I'm still standing outside the door."

"I'm on the way." I ended the call and ran for the stairs, flying down them towards the 4th floor. I stopped outside of her door and knocked. I knew she was asleep, but it made me feel better to at least _try_ to give her a chance to answer. I didn't want her to think that I was as bad as Morelli- just barging into her life and taking over.

I let myself in and nodded at Lester, closing and locking the door behind me. I walked quickly to her bedroom, where she was again reliving one of her struggles against Morelli. She wasn't tangled as badly this time. Some of the sheets were twisted around her, but they didn't confine her like they had last night. She was kicking and squirming around on the bed, yelling things at Morelli, begging him to leave her alone.

I wasn't sure how to approach her. I wanted to help her, but I also didn't want to catch a foot to the head. Remembering that she had been soothed last night when I talked to her, I took a step closer to the bed.

"Babe," I called softly. "Stephanie."

She stopped for just a few seconds and then moved restlessly on the bed.

"Stephanie, it's me, Ranger. You're safe. You're here at RangeMan, and Joe can't get in. He can't hurt you here."

She lay very still, as if her still-dreaming mind was trying to process what it had just heard.

I slid into the bed behind her and wrapped my arms gently around her waist.

She turned and pressed her chest against mine, slipping one of her slim legs between my two muscular ones, and burrowing her face into my shoulder. "Ranger?" she whispered questioningly.

"Yeah, Babe, it's me." I whispered back.

She gave a contented sigh and wrapped her arms around me, already headed back to her deep sleep.

_**TBC**_


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: Thanks to stephfan6511 for helping me work through this chapter. It is awesome to have someone to bounce ideas off of, and I really appreciate your suggestions! Thanks again, Babe! ;)_

**Chapter 8**

**Steph's POV**

I slowly came awake and arched my back, stretching. My eyes flew open when I felt something hard, _very hard_, pressed against my ass. I gulped when I looked down and saw a dark arm thrown across my waist.

"Ranger?" I whispered tentatively.

He chuckled softly. "Yeah?" he whispered huskily.

"How did you end up in bed with me? Again?"

He squeezed my waist before he moved his arm and rolled onto his back. "You were having nightmares again last night, Babe. Lester called, and I came down to stay with you."

I rolled over and propped myself up on an elbow. Looking down at him, I blushed and bit my lip. "I don't understand why that worked."

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Why what worked?"

"Why your staying with me made my nightmares stop. I don't understand why I feel so secure around you. It doesn't make sense. Even though I trust every other guy in this building, I'm still a little jumpy and nervous around them. But not you. Why is that?"

He shrugged and gave me a small smile. "I don't know, Babe. But I'm glad that you feel comfortable with me."

He gently ran his fingers through my hair, and I laid my head down on his chest. It felt so good I wanted to purr. He stopped just when I was about to drift back to sleep.

"I have to get up, Babe." He whispered quietly.

"Mmm." I moaned in protest, burying my head in his shoulder and wrapping my arm tighter around his waist.

I could feel his chest shaking with silent laughter.

"Five more minutes." I mumbled.

He wrapped his arms around my waist and held me closer. "Five more minutes." He agreed quietly.

**R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S**

When I woke up again, Ranger was already gone. I got up and showered quickly, digging a pair of jeans and a stretchy black RangeMan t-shirt out of the clothes that Ella had brought me.

I grabbed my keys and headed up to the breakroom on 5. I picked out a bagel and a container of yogurt for breakfast and headed to my cubicle. It wasn't as good as a half dozen Boston crème doughnuts, but beggars can't be choosers, right?

I was working in my cubicle when I felt the presence of someone behind me. I turned around and saw Ranger leaning against the opening, watching me.

"Hey!" I smiled.

His lips twitched as he almost grinned back at me. "Babe."

He walked into my small space and sat down in the extra chair. "I made some appointments for you this morning."

I raised my eyebrows. "Appointments?"

He nodded once. "You have an appointment with the RangeMan attorney in a half hour and an appointment with Dr. Michaels at 11:00."

"Dr. Michaels?" I asked confused.

Ranger grabbed my hands. "She's a therapist, Babe. A lot of the guys here have talked to her after they've come back from missions. She's an expert in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder."

I just stared at him. "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder? I don't understand."

He rubbed the back of my hands with his thumbs. "Wouldn't you say that things with Joe have been stressful lately?"

I nodded.

"How long do you think you've been living in a high-stress situation? 6 months? 8 months?"

I nodded again.

"Your body can't handle that much stress for that long. Eventually, your mind starts trying to protect itself."

What was he saying? Did he think I was crazy? "You think I need to talk to a therapist?" I questioned hesitantly.

Ranger nodded. "Yes, I do. There's nothing wrong with that, Steph. I've talked to a therapist several times after missions."

I looked up at him wide eyed. "You have?"

"Yes, I have."

I bit my lip. "Did it help?"

"Yeah, Babe, it did. Will you talk to her?"

I let out a deep breath. "OK."

"Good." He smiled and squeezed my hands before standing up. "I'll be back to get you for the meeting with the lawyer."

"Thanks again, Ranger."

He dropped a kiss on my head. "Anything you want or need, Babe. Just let me know."

**R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S**

As promised, Ranger came back at 9:30 to collect me for my meeting with the lawyer. He directed me down to the second floor and into a conference room. When we walked through the door, a handsome man with dark wavy hair and piercing blue eyes stood up and gave us both a gorgeous smile.

Ranger ushered me into a seat across from the lawyer, who introduced himself as Tom Anderson. I smiled and introduced myself as well.

Ranger leaned over next to me. "Is it OK with you if I stay for this meeting, Babe? Or would you rather speak with Tom alone?"

I looked up at him wide-eyed. "No!" I yelped.

He raised his eyebrow and looked at me questioningly. I knew he was trying to figure out which question I was answering.

"No! Please stay! I could use some help in trying to figure out what my options are and which would be the best one to choose."

Ranger nodded and looked over at Tom.

"Well, Stephanie, as you said, I'm here to talk with you about your options. RangeMan has provided me with a copy of your recent exam, and I've also spoken with both Ranger and Bobby Brown. I think that I have a fairly good idea of your side of the case. But as we go along, if there's anything that I have wrong or anything that you'd like to add, please stop me, OK?"

I licked my lips nervously. "OK."

"Now, I'm assuming that you would like to file charges against Detective Morelli. Is that correct?"

I nodded.

"We certainly have enough evidence to be able to do that. We'll also ask for a restraining order, but you have to know that that doesn't guarantee anything. A restraining order will not prevent Joe from coming near you; it will just give you legal recourse against him if he does."

I nodded. I understood what he was telling me. It was the same thing that the director of the women's shelter had told me. Women got wrapped up in the fact that they had a piece of paper telling the man to stay away, and then they were surprised when the man didn't follow it. These were men who were willing to abuse their wives and girlfriends. They weren't about to be bossed around by a piece of paper.

Tom looked over at me. "When you press charges, obviously everyone will know that you're alive and well. The TPD will want to interview you."

I swallowed nervously. "Can we wait a few days to file charges then? I don't think I'm quite ready for that."

Tom nodded. "Sure, Stephanie. Once we file, we're at the mercy of the TPD. But when we file is up to you."

We went through the evidence Bobby had assembled and talked about the specific charges I was going to file before Tom was satisfied. Standing up, he reached across the table to shake my hand and Ranger's hand.

"It's been a pleasure meeting you, Stephanie. I hope that we are able to take care of this matter for you as quickly and painlessly as possible. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to give me a call."

I nodded and gave him a small smile. "Thanks for all of your help and advice. I really appreciate it."

Ranger and I walked Tom to the elevator before we headed back down the hall.

"Are you ready for your next appointment?" Ranger asked quietly.

I sucked in a deep breath and nodded. I could feel my heart rate start to pick up. When Ranger grabbed my hands, I noticed that they were shaking just slightly. He rubbed his thumbs across the backs of them.

"Stephanie, it'll be OK." He said soothingly. "Dr. Michaels is a great therapist. She'll make you feel very comfortable, I'm sure."

I nodded, still not convinced.

Ranger knocked before opening the closed door and ushering me in. This room looked more like a lounge than a conference room. It had several plush couches, chairs, and tables spread out in what interior designers would call conversation clusters.

Dr. Michaels had been sitting in a plush wine colored chair, but she stood when we walked in. She was a plain looking woman, but she had a friendly smile, and when she introduced herself, her voice was low and soothing. She immediately put me at ease.

She smiled and gestured to the loveseat across from where she had been sitting. "Have a seat, Stephanie, and we'll get started."

Ranger raised his hand in a small wave and turned to head back to the door. Instantly I felt panicked. I reached out and grabbed his hand, my eyes wide.

"You're not staying?" I whispered.

He shook his head. "No. I thought you'd want to meet with Dr. Michaels privately."

I chewed my lower lip and glanced back and forth between Dr. Michaels and Ranger. My throat was starting to feel tight, and I was afraid that if I opened my mouth again I would start sobbing uncontrollably.

Ranger tilted his head and looked at me closely. "Wouldn't you be more comfortable without me here?"

I swallowed hard and shook my head no, still not trusting my voice.

He raised an eyebrow. "You want me to stay?"

I nodded.

He studied my face. "I'll stay if you want me to, Babe, but I don't want you to feel uncomfortable. Just let me know if you want me to leave, OK?"

"OK." I whispered hoarsely.

He gave my hand a firm squeeze, leading me back over to the loveseat across from Dr. Michaels.

To her credit, she didn't mention the little scene I had just caused. Instead, she smiled and asked me to tell her a little bit about my life, my family, and my friends. I was sure that she was working on building a trusting rapport, and that was fine by me. It was working. Once I felt comfortable with her, Dr. Michaels brought up the reason for her visit.

"Stephanie, I understand that we're here to talk about your relationship with your boyfriend."

"Ex-boyfriend," I corrected. There was no way that I would ever even entertain the idea of getting back together with Joe.

She nodded. "Ex-boyfriend. How long have you known your ex-boyfriend?"

I shook my head. "My whole life. He grew up down the street from me."

"And were you always close friends? Did you play together as children?"

I blushed and bit my lip. "Not really."

She tipped her head, and I knew that she was studying my body language, trying to figure out the reason for my embarrassment over a relatively innocent question. "What do you mean by not really?"

I looked down at my left hand, my fingers laced through Ranger's. He gave me a gentle squeeze, encouraging me to answer, and I looked back up at Dr. Michaels.

"Joe was kind of a bad boy when we were little. My mother just about forbade me to go anywhere near him. She'd say things like 'Stay away from those Morelli boys! They're nothing but trouble!' "

Dr. Michaels gave me a small smile. "And did you stay away?"

I blushed and looked down again. "Most of the time."

"What happened when you _did_ play with Joe?"

My eyes flicked up to Ranger's and then back at Dr. Michaels. "He… um…" I stammered.

Ranger tugged on my hand, and I looked over at him. "Do you want me to leave?" he asked quietly.

I shook my head. "No, it's OK." I took a deep breath. "He said that he wanted me to come into his dad's garage so that he could teach me a new game."

Dr. Michaels raised her eyebrows. "What kind of game did he teach you?"

My cheeks burned. "He called it choo-choo."

She nodded. "And how did you play choo-choo?"

I bit my lip. "I stood very still and spread my legs, pretending to be the tunnel. And Joe was the train."

I looked up at Ranger out of the corner of my eye, and saw that his face was carefully void of any emotion.

"So Joe would pretend to be a train and crawl through your legs?" Dr. Michaels asked.

I cleared my throat. "Not exactly."

"What do you mean, Stephanie?"

"Joe wasn't the train. His fingers were the train. And the tunnel was…" My voice caught, and I stopped. I stared at my feet, but I couldn't make myself continue.

"Did he touch you inappropriately while you were playing this game?" Dr. Michaels asked softly.

I nodded, and Ranger let go of my hand. He moved to slide his arm around my shoulders and pulled me into his side, squeezing my shoulder.

"How many times did you play choo-choo with Joe?" Dr. Michaels asked softly.

"Just once." I whispered

Dr. Michaels nodded. "You seem upset by the memory now, Stephanie. Were you upset then as well?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't really know. I was very young, and I was confused about what he had done. I went home and told my mom. She went crazy, and I got punished for it."

"You said you were very young. How old were you?"

"Six."

Ranger's arm twitched around my shoulders, and I looked up to see that his lips were pressed in a tight line. A small muscle near his jaw seemed to be jumping, and he was radiating anger. Since he was rubbing small, gentle circles on my arm, I was guessing that he was angry at Joe and not at me.

"Other than the one time that you played choo-choo, you and Joe had no contact as children?"

"Not really. We went to the same church and the same school. I would see him around, but we didn't really have the same friends, and he's two years older than me. That makes a big difference when you're little." I explained.

She nodded. "Did you two become friends in junior high?"

I shook my head no.

"High school?"

I fidgeted. "Not really."

She tilted her head. "Can you explain that, Stephanie?"

I sniffed back a couple of tears as I remembered the Tasty Pastry incident in full detail. Hanging my head, I answered. "I was pretty naïve. I was sixteen and working at a local bakery. Joe came in one night right before closing. He was eighteen and getting ready to ship out with the Navy. He said that he wanted to see me before he left."

I looked up at the ceiling, blinking furiously to get rid of the tears before they fell. "I was so flattered. I mean, he was a senior, the captain of the football team. I was nobody. He was so handsome and so popular, and he wanted to see _me_ before he left."

"Did he invite you out for a date?" Dr. Michaels questioned softly.

I shook my head. "No."

Dr. Michaels waited silently while I collected my thoughts and worked up the courage to tell her what had happened.

"He walked around behind the counter and told me how beautiful I looked. Then he started kissing me, and his hands were everywhere. The next thing I knew, I was on the floor behind the counter, and Joe was pulling my jeans down to my ankles."

She studied my face. "You had sex?"

I nodded.

"Was it consensual, Stephanie?"

My eyes widened. I'd never really thought about that before. "Well, I didn't try to fight him off, so I guess so." I explained weakly.

"Was it something that you wanted at the time?" she questioned further.

I bit my lip. "Not really. I'd always thought that I'd wait until I was married. That's what my mother had always preached to my sister and me."

"So you were a virgin?"

I nodded again.

"What happened after that? Did you and Joe stay in touch when he left for the Navy?"

I snorted. "Not hardly. He pulled up his pants and left. Then he proceeded to write about it on the wall of practically every men's room in Trenton. He called me his Cupcake and said I was soft and sweet and good to eat. I was grounded for the rest of the summer, and I had a miserable last two years of high school."

"Why were they miserable?"

"Because the only guys who asked me out were the ones who had read Joe's poem on one of the men's room walls. They thought I was easy. Then when I wouldn't have sex with them, they'd be angry at me. So I just quit dating. It was easier that way."

"Did you ever hear from Joe?"

I smiled. "He came home on shore leave when I was eighteen."

"What happened?"

I smiled even wider. "I ran him over with my dad's car and broke his leg."

Ranger let out a bark of laughter, and I looked up to see his eyes twinkling. He leaned down to kiss my forehead. "Proud of you, Babe!" he whispered, and my stomach fluttered.

Dr. Michaels was also wearing a grin. "And how do you feel about hitting him with your dad's car?"

"Pretty good!" I laughed.

She smiled and nodded. "Why do you suppose that is?"

I shrugged. "I guess because I felt like for once I was the one in control."

"Feeling like you have control of the situation is very important." Dr. Michaels agreed. "Do you feel like you have control of the situation you're in now?"

I chewed my lip. "Well, kind of. Tom said that we could file charges whenever I wanted. And no one will know where I am until I decide to tell them."

"What things do you feel are still out of your control?"

I looked up at Ranger. "Well, I have no money, so I'm dependent on Ranger for everything- food, clothing, shelter. Just like I was with Joe."

Ranger shook his head and spoke up. "But that's not true, Stephanie. You're not just getting things handed to you. You've asked me to keep a running tab for you, and I have. Ella kept the receipts for your cosmetics and clothes. You're working here at RangeMan, so your food and apartment are included in your salary. When you get your first paycheck, we'll deduct the expenses from it, and you'll be free and clear."

Dr. Michaels smiled. "It sounds like you're _not_ dependent on Ranger after all, Stephanie. How do you feel about that?"

I smiled. "It feels pretty good. I haven't really felt like I was earning my own way for a long time. Joe didn't want me to get a job, so I felt kind of useless. Kind of like a mooch. I did things around the house, but he never thought I did a very good job at them, so things just never really evened out. I always felt like he was doing all of the giving, and I was doing all of the taking."

Dr. Michaels looked over at Ranger. "Do you feel that Stephanie is doing a good job here at RangeMan?"

He smiled down at me. "A very good job. She's already come up with a profitability chart that stunned the Core Team, and she's working on a payroll system that will make Tank's job much easier."

I blushed at Ranger's praise but grinned back at him.

Dr. Michaels smiled and nodded. "Well, Stephanie, it seems like things have evened out for you now. You're giving by working here at RangeMan, where Ranger says you're doing a great job. And they're able to give to you by providing you with security and other necessities."

I smiled and looked up at Ranger. "And I really appreciate it."

Dr. Michaels checked her watch. "Our time is just about up. Would it be OK if I came back to talk with you again, Stephanie?"

I smiled and nodded. "I'd like that."

"Is this a good time?"

I looked up at Ranger. "Well, I'm supposed to be working. But if it's OK with Ranger, I could take a break to meet with you and then stay over an hour later at the end of my shift."

Ranger nodded. "That would be fine."

Dr. Michaels smiled. "Let's plan on meeting twice a week for now. We can work on cutting back later, OK?"

I nodded.

She pulled out her calendar and continued. "Let's see. Today is Wednesday. Can we plan on meeting this Friday at the same time?"

I smiled. "That sounds good!"

"Before I go, is there anything else that you would like to address today?"

I shrugged and shook my head. "Not really."

Ranger cleared his throat. "Stephanie is having a hard time sleeping at night. She has pretty bad nightmares where she's reliving Joe assaulting her."

Dr. Michaels looked over at me. "Is that right, Stephanie?"

I blushed and nodded. I'd been having those nightmares for so long that I guess I didn't think they were worth bringing up.

"Are you able to get any quality of sleep? Or do you feel that you would benefit from some kind of a sleep aid?"

I crinkled my nose. "A sleep aid? As in medication?"

She nodded.

I bit my lip. "Well, I've had the nightmares for a long time. It's pretty common for me to sleep for 20 to 30 minutes and then wake up all night long. The past few nights, Ranger has stayed with me, and I've slept straight through the whole night."

Dr. Michaels smiled. "It sounds like you feel secure around Ranger. Is that right?"

I blushed and nodded. "I'm not really sure why, but I do." I cleared my throat. "But maybe you should leave me a prescription. I'm sure that Ranger doesn't want to have to babysit me every night."

Ranger shook his head. "That's not why I brought it up, Babe. I don't mind at all. I just thought that Dr. Michaels should be aware of the nightmares."

She nodded. "It's certainly something that we'll want to talk about in future sessions, Stephanie. When you're sleeping, your mind lets its guard down, so to speak. It gives you an idea of the kinds of things that your subconscious is focused on. It sounds like you've been doing a pretty good job being strong during the day and getting done all of the things that you need to get done. Then when you go to sleep, your mind starts working through your fears and worries. As you become more secure and feel more safe, you'll notice that your nightmares will diminish. And hopefully one day they will be gone or nearly gone."

I chewed my lip. "Do you really think that's possible?"

She gave me a broad smile. "I certainly do, Stephanie. I've seen it happen over and over again."

I let out a relieved sigh and smiled back at her. "That would be great!"

Dr. Michaels stood. "Well then, I'm going to give you a little homework for next time. I'd like you to think about your nightmares. Try to remember as much detail as you can from your dreams. Be sure to keep track of how the nightmares are affecting your sleep. Also, see if anything seems to make your nightmares worse- like a stressful day or being overtired- or better- like Ranger. We'll think about medication after we have a chance to talk a little more on Friday, OK?"

Ranger and I both thanked her for her time and advice and walked her over to the elevator. Once she was headed down to the lobby, Ranger turned and grabbed my hands.

"So how do you feel, Babe?"

I grinned. "Like my brain is going to explode! Between those two meetings, I feel like I just sat through a college Physics class!"

He grinned back at me. "Take a break and grab some lunch before you head back to work. I'd offer to join you, but I have some requisitions sitting on my desk that really need to be approved by this afternoon."

I frowned. "I occupied your whole morning, huh?"

He shook his head. "It wasn't a big deal. If I didn't have time to sit in on the meetings with you, I would have said so."

"But still… I don't want you to get behind at work because of me."

Ranger smirked. "I'm the boss, Babe. If I get behind, I just delegate it to someone else. Don't worry about it."

I laughed. "OK, then, thank you."

He leaned in and pressed his lips to my forehead, lingering just a few seconds longer than normal. "You're welcome." He replied huskily.

He pulled back and looked down at me, smiling. "Would you like to join me again for dinner, Babe?"

I grinned. "Will Ella be making dessert this time?"

His smile grew wider. "I could probably arrange that."

I squeezed his hands. "Then I could probably find an opening for you in my busy social schedule."

He winked as he pressed the button to call the elevator. "I'll pick you up at your cubicle at 6:00."

I shook my head, smiling. "I'll be there."

We rode back up to 5 in a comfortable silence. On the outside, I was a calm, professional 33-year old headed back to her cubicle to do work. But on the inside, I was a 4-year old in a tutu and cowboy boots who was jumping on the couch and making loud whooping noises. In fact, I'm pretty sure that if the elevator had been broken, I could have flown all the way up to 5 myself.

_**TBC**_


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: Thanks again to stephfan6511 for the suggestions and ideas that are in this chapter. Thanks also to Gabbydunk and Margaret Fowler for giving me a "gentle nudge" to hurry up and update already! LOL! For those of you who are also reading "The Breakfast Club," I promise that that story will be updated soon, too! Thanks for reading and reviewing, Babes! ;)_

**Bold section from Chapter 8**

**He winked as he pressed the button to call the elevator. "I'll pick you up at your cubicle at 6:00."**

**I shook my head, smiling. "I'll be there."**

**We rode back up to 5 in a comfortable silence. On the outside, I was a calm, professional 33-year old headed back to her cubicle to do work. But on the inside, I was a 4-year old in a tutu and cowboy boots who was jumping on the couch and making loud whooping noises. In fact, I'm pretty sure that if the elevator had been broken, I could have flown all the way up to 5 myself.**

**Chapter 9**

**Steph's POV**

The day flew by and before I knew it, Ranger was standing at the door to my cubicle. I looked up and smiled when I saw him standing there.

"Ready for dinner, Babe?" he asked.

I nodded and turned off my computer, standing up to join him. He placed his hand at the small of my back and guided me towards the elevator.

"Any idea what Ella made for dinner?" I asked, trying to ignore the electricity that was radiating from the spot where his hand was resting.

He shook his head. "No idea, but I'm sure it'll be good. Ella is a master in the kitchen."

I nodded in agreement. Everything that I'd eaten here at RangeMan had been delicious. Even though it was all ridiculously healthy. I was missing my TastyKakes and pizza, and I was hoping that Ella had made something sinful and chocolate for dessert.

We made it up to Ranger's apartment, and he dropped his keys in the silver bowl by the door, ushering me into the kitchen. He lifted a bottle of wine and quirked an eyebrow at me in question. I smiled and nodded back, walking over to sit at the breakfast bar. He poured two glasses and handed one to me, raising his in a silent toast before he took a drink. I took a small sip of mine before sitting it back on the counter.

I reached out and tentatively put my hand on his arm. "Thanks again for coming to my meetings with me today."

He covered my hand with his. "Anytime, Babe."

We sat in a comfortable silence until Ella came in a few minutes later with dinner. Her whole face lit up when she saw me sitting at the bar next to Ranger.

"Stephanie!" she exclaimed. "So good to see you again, dear!"

I blushed and smiled back.

Ella patted Ranger's arm. "Isn't it nice that Stephanie could join you for dinner again tonight?"

Ranger's eyes crinkled as he gave Ella a small smile. "_Si, Tia._ Very nice." He agreed.

Ella bustled into the dining room, pushing her cart in ahead of her. She came back out a few minutes later, looking very much like the cat that had just eaten the canary. Ranger raised one eyebrow, but she just shook her head and trotted out of the apartment, humming under her breath.

Ranger looked at me. "I'm afraid to see what she's done in there, Babe."

I tilted my head to the side and studied him. "What do you mean?"

He gave me a gorgeous grin. "Did you see her face when she came out of the dining room?"

I smiled and nodded.

"She's definitely up to no good." he explained, grabbing my hand and tugging me gently off the barstool.

We walked into the dining room, and I gasped. Ella had left the lights off, but she had lit a few dozen tiny tea light candles, placing them all over the table. She had sprinkled rose petals around our two place settings, and left a large bouquet of roses in the middle of the table. But most curious of all was that she had put our dishes on the same side of the table, next to each other, instead of across from each other.

I looked over at Ranger and saw him looking down at the floor, shaking his head with a small smile on his face.

I bit my lip to keep from laughing and walked over to the table. Choosing a seat, I pulled out my chair as Ranger walked over to sit next to me.

"I'm not used to sitting next to someone like this when we're the only two eating." I giggled.

"All the better to touch you, my dear." Ranger responded, sounding an awful lot like the Big Bad Wolf.

I grinned at him. "Oh yeah?"

He smirked back. "According to Tia Ella, you sit across from someone to have a conversation with them, but you sit next to them when you want to be able to touch them."

I laughed. "I feel like I'm back in college. Mary Lou and I always used to make fun of the lovebirds who sat next to each other in the cafeteria instead of across from each other like normal human beings."

Ranger barked out a laugh. "Normal human beings, huh? Well, I've never been accused of being normal."

I sucked in a breath as I looked at him. I could believe that! A grin crossed Ranger's face, and I was pretty sure he had just read my mind. My cheeks flamed a bright red.

We spent the meal sitting next to each other, talking quietly about nothing as our arms and legs brushed against one another. That Ella was pretty sneaky! She was definitely onto something! By the end of the meal, my entire body had a low level current of electricity humming just under the skin.

After dinner, we moved into the living room. Ranger turned the TV onto one of the movie channels but left the lights off. I sat next to him, cuddled into his side. He had one arm wrapped around my shoulders, and I rested my cheek on his chest. This was a comfortable position for me for many reasons. The couch itself was plush and inviting; the man next to me was safe, warm, and handsome; and when we talked, I could hide my face.

I've always found that it's easier to talk about scary or embarrassing things when the other person can't see your face. Mary Lou and I spent a lot of time sleeping over at each other's house when we were younger. The best time of the night was always when we were snuggled up in our sleeping bags with the lights out. That's when we could ask each other anything or tell each other anything. It was the only way that Mary Lou could tell me that she and Lenny had had sex for the first time. And it was the only way that I could ask her about it without being totally mortified.

Tonight, it was the only way that I could talk to Ranger about Joe. I cleared my throat, and he lowered the volume on the TV, waiting.

"What do you think will happen when I file charges against Joe?" I asked quietly.

"What do you mean, Babe?"

"Do you think he'll come here looking for me?"

Ranger squeezed my shoulder. "He can't. Tom is filing a restraining order against him at the same time he files the assault charges."

I nodded. "I know, but I'm still worried that he's going to show up here and try to talk me out of everything."

He dropped a kiss on the top of my head. "Doesn't matter, Babe. This is a secure building. He can't get in."

I blew out a deep breath and nodded. Intellectually, I knew that was true. Emotionally, I was still a nervous wreck.

Ranger lifted me up then and slid his leg onto the couch behind me. He pulled me back against his chest, and now I was lounging between his legs, my head resting on his shoulder. It was quite possibly the most comfortable I had ever been in my life. Well, next to when I was in elementary school and would spend snowy days cuddled up on the couch in my footie pajamas and a crocheted afghan. I bit my lip to keep from snorting as I imagined myself wearing a pair of adult-sized footie pajamas while I snuggled with Ranger on his couch.

We sat quietly for a while, both of us looking at the TV but not really watching whatever movie was on. I didn't know what Ranger was thinking about, but I was mentally reviewing my appointment with Dr. Michaels. When she had asked me about my history with Joe, I had been surprised to find that most of it was depressing.

I took advantage of the dark room to ask Ranger a question. "Do you think I'm an idiot?"

He jerked slightly underneath me and tried to turn my face towards him. I was sure that he wanted to read my expression, but I didn't want him to be able to see me. That was the only way that I was brave enough to have this discussion with him. Because I didn't have to look him in the face while we talked.

When he saw that I didn't want to turn my head, he dropped his hand into my lap and played with my fingers instead. "No, Babe, I don't think you're an idiot. Why would you think that?"

I blew out a deep sigh. "Because I feel like one." 

"Why?" he asked quietly, running his fingers up and down my arm.

"Well, when Dr. Michaels had me talk about my history with Joe, it was just so depressing. There are so many horrible things that he's done to me over the years. I just don't understand why I kept going back to him over and over. It makes me feel like an idiot."

He gave me a squeeze. "You're not an idiot, Stephanie. You only told Dr. Michaels about two childhood memories between you and Morelli. I'm sure there are more, happier ones, that you didn't tell."

I shook my head. "There really aren't, that's the thing. Other than playing choo-choo when I was six, I hardly ever spent any real time with him. I drooled over him from afar in high school, along with half of the other girls in our school, but even then it wasn't like he acknowledged me or gave me the time of day. Not until he walked into the Tasty Pastry that night, anyhow." I paused, frustrated with myself for overlooking Joe's horrible behavior towards me.

Ranger hugged me into his chest, resting his chin on the top of my head. "How did the two of you end up dating two years ago?"

I examined my hands. "My apartment had been broken into. Joe was still working the streets, and he was the officer who responded. He hung around after he took my statement, and we ended up having pizza together. After that, our mothers kind of took over and kept pushing us towards each other."

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Stephanie. I'm sure that once you and Joe started dating, you had some good times. Otherwise you wouldn't have stayed for as long as you did."

I nodded. "We did. In the beginning. Joe teased me that I was the perfect girlfriend. I was happy to hang out with him and the guys and have pizza and beer while we watched a game, and then once the guys left…" I blushed silently adding Joe's line- _we could go upstairs and have balls-to-the-wall sex._

Ranger gave a strangled cough behind me, and my cheeks burned. "Out loud?" I whispered.

"Yeah, Babe." He managed. "Out loud."

Well crap! I hung my head. Ranger squeezed me gently. "Sounds perfect to me, too. So what could you possibly have had to argue about?"

I snorted. "I said I was a good girlfriend, not a good wife. Joe wanted a wife."

"What's the difference?" Ranger asked, confused.

"Well, Burg wives are expected to be able to keep the house immaculate, cook four course meals from scratch, and take care of their husbands and children."

"A little different than the girlfriend requirements, huh?"

I allowed a small smile. "You could say that."

He gave me a small squeeze. "His loss, Babe. Personally, I prefer the girlfriend requirements. I have Ella to take care of the rest."

I choked out a laugh. "Good to know."

He chuckled and drew me back against his chest. We finished up the movie in silence and then Ranger stood up and stretched. He reached down to pull me up off of the couch and brushed a curl from my cheek, tucking it behind my ear. "Why don't you stay up here tonight, Babe?"

My eyes snapped up to his. "W-w-w-what?" I stuttered.

He grinned at me. "Well, the past few nights I've ended up in your bed. Not that I haven't enjoyed it, but my bed is larger, and the sheets are nicer."

My cheeks burned. "I don't know…" I hesitated.

Ranger nodded understandingly. "Do you want to try sleeping by yourself?" He asked quietly.

My mind whirled. I didn't know _what_ I wanted. I chewed my lip nervously while I debated. The past few nights were the most restful and relaxing nights I'd spent in almost a year. It wasn't often that I actually slept for more than an hour at a time, and I never slept the whole night through. But when Ranger held me, I felt so comfortable and safe. I fidgeted. Could I really crawl into bed with a man I'd only known for three days?

Ranger put his hands on my shoulders. "What if you take the bed, and I take the couch?" he offered. "I won't come in unless you're having a bad nightmare."

I twisted my hands as I looked up at him. "But I can't kick you out of your bed!" I protested.

He smiled at me. "I've slept in worse places than a couch in my life, Babe." He reassured me. "Besides, if I end up joining you, it would be easier for me to slip into the bed than the couch."

Taking a deep breath, I nodded. "OK, thanks."

He rubbed my arm and steered me towards the door. "No problem. Now, let's go and pack your overnight bag."

**R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S**

I woke the next morning, once again cuddled in Ranger's arms. I rolled over and buried my face in his neck, taking in the scent of his shower gel. I moaned quietly, "Mmmm."

He chuckled and whispered huskily. "Morning, Babe."

I smiled against his neck. "Morning, Ranger."

Coming more fully awake, I realized that I was sprawled across his chest. One of my legs was nestled in between his and my arms were wrapped around him. I blushed and started to back away, giving Ranger some space.

He grabbed my hands and tugged my back onto his chest. "You're fine." He whispered softly.

I bit my lip and nodded, lying down on his chest. Ranger began rubbing my back. "I have to go to Boston today." He said softly.

I sucked in a breath and nodded. "For how long?" I squeaked out.

"Just overnight. It's RangeMan policy that I have to be present for takedowns over a certain dollar amount. And tonight, the Boston team has a takedown scheduled for one of their very high bond skips."

"When do you leave?"

"Probably before lunch. I want to get to Boston in time to go over some other accounts and have a few meetings before we go over the plan for tonight. The takedown is scheduled for late tonight. As soon as we're done, I'll hop a plane and fly back here. I should be back early tomorrow morning."

My heart stuttered a little as the incredibly selfish part of me wondered how I was going to be able to sleep tonight. I had been spoiled the last several nights, snuggled against Ranger, who for some reason had taken it upon himself to chase away my nightmares.

"Is there anything I can do to help you get ready to leave?"

Ranger just kept rubbing my back. "Not really, Babe. I'm not even packing anything since I'm not staying overnight."

I nodded and swallowed hard. "When will you be back again?" I squeaked out.

Ranger put his hand under my chin and tipped my face up so that he could look in my eyes. "Early tomorrow morning."

I bit my lip and nodded. I tried to look down, but he cupped my cheeks and studied my expression.

"Are you worried about being alone tonight?" he asked softly.

I tried to shake my head no and look brave, but my slightly ragged breathing gave me away.

Ranger wrapped his arms around me and pulled me back down against his chest, holding me tightly for a long while before we finally got up to begin our day.

**R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S**

I checked the time on my monitor. It was 5:00, so I shut down my computer and gathered up the files I had been working with. Once my desk was cleared, I sat chewing on my lip and trying to decide what to do for the rest of the evening. Ranger had long since left for the takedown in Boston, and I felt kind of lost. It was a little alarming to see just how much I was already depending on him to make me feel comfortable.

I was debating whether to indulge in a night of television and snacks or a mini spa day with all of my new goodies from Ella when Les walked up. He raised his hand in a friendly greeting and sat on the corner of my desk.

"Hey, Beautiful!" he greeted me cheerfully.

"Les," I nodded and smiled back.

He tilted his head to the side. "You have any plans for the evening?"

I furrowed my eyebrows. "No-ooooo, why?" I asked slowly.

He shrugged. "Just wondered if you wanted to have dinner and then hit the gym. I could show you the machines."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "Oh!" I thought about it. "Yeah, that would be good, I guess."

He pushed himself off of my desk and held out a hand. "Let's go see what Ella left us in the break room."

I actually enjoyed eating dinner with Lester, and I found myself relaxing around him more and more. He had a great sense of humor, and I laughed more than I had in a long time. Once we had finished up Ella's fabulous beef vegetable soup and homemade rolls, we loaded our dishes into the dishwasher and headed out.

Lester rode down to 4 with me and paused in front of my door. "Go get changed, and I'll meet you in the gym whenever you're ready."

I smiled and nodded. "OK. Thanks, Les."

He waved and walked further down the hall, to his own apartment.

I opened my door and found a new laundry basket of clothes from Ella. There were several bras, now that she knew the correct size, some cotton stretchy shorts, t-shirts, and a dressy black pantsuit. She had left a note on top, this time asking for my shoe size so that she could purchase me some heels to go with the suit.

I quickly called Ella and thanked her for the new clothes, reminding her to keep the receipt. I gave her my shoe size, and she promised to get me some heels and a pair of boots. It was mid-November, and she was worried because the forecast was calling for snow. I wasn't worried at all because I didn't plan on leaving the building any time soon, but I thanked her just the same.

I pulled out a sports bra, t-shirt, and pair of stretchy shorts and quickly got changed. I pulled my hair into a messy ponytail and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. I headed down to 3. I wasn't a big fan of exercise, and normally I would do everything within my power to get out of it, but I had nothing better to do tonight.

**R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S**

Lester walked me around all of the circuit training machines, showing me how to adjust the seat height and change the weight selections. After the first few machines, he grabbed a clipboard and a preprinted spreadsheet. It had each machine listed and had places to record the seat and weight adjustments. As we would move to a new machine, Lester would record the numbers for me.

"This way you'll know how to set up each machine right away. You won't have to play around and try to find the right settings next time." Lester explained.

I nodded. "Thanks!" I gasped out, while pushing up the weights on an arm machine.

We were moving over to the next machine, when I heard a loud yell behind me. I jumped and whipped around, my heart racing. My eyes flicked nervously around the gym, trying to find the source of the noise.

In the far corner of the gym, I saw two men circling each other. They were taunting one another and lunging, trying to bring the other one down to the mats. I froze and watched as Manny and Hal challenged each other. I couldn't hear every word they were saying, but I caught snatches of the insults they hurled at one another.

I watched as Manny got a smirk on his face. He reached his hands out in front of him and wiggled his fingers in a 'come here' motion. "You know you want it!" he mocked, just before he lunged at Hal and took him to the mats.

The taunt was one that I'd heard many times before from Joe, right before he would pin me down on the bed. Immediately, I could feel my breathing grow shallower as I watched the guys roll around the mats. When Manny pinned Hal, my mind flashed with images of Joe pinning me to the bed. With each loud thud, I flinched, imagining what Joe would do to me. The blood rushed in my ears as I fell to the ground, cowering and covering my head.

"Stop!" I sobbed. "Please leave me alone!"

I could feel hands grabbing at me, and I screamed and moved away from them. I could hear someone calling my name, but I closed my eyes tightly and wrapped myself into a ball, trying to protect myself.

**Lester's POV**

I watched in horror as Stephanie collapsed to the floor. I glanced back over at the guys sparring on the mat and knew immediately what had her so upset. I knew that watching them was causing her to relive her struggles with Joe. I hadn't even thought of that when I offered to show her around the gym.

I tried to reach out to her, to soothe her and calm her down, but it didn't work. She was trembling, and the look on her face was one of absolute terror. Her eyes were blank, and I knew that she was seeing something entirely different than the RangeMan gym right now. I moved in front of her, but that only caused her to yelp and scoot backwards across the floor.

Not sure what else to do, I pulled out my phone and hit the speed dial for Bobby's cell.

"Yo!" he answered.

"Where are you?" I asked.

"My apartment, why?"

"You're needed in the gym. Now. It's Stephanie." I hung up. I probably should have told him more, but he would see for himself once he got here.

Seconds later, Bobby came running through the door. He saw Steph curled up on the floor, still sobbing. He looked over at me and mouthed, "What happened?"

I jerked my thumb over at Hal and Manny. The two of them were still going at it, completely oblivious of the panic attack Steph was having. "I think their sparring session triggered a memory of some sort." I answered him in a low voice.

Bobby nodded his understanding and walked slowly towards her.

"Steph?" he called softly. She didn't answer.

He leaned down and gently placed a hand on her arm. "Steph?"

She jerked away, screaming as if he had burnt her. Bobby looked over at me, and I could tell that he was unsure what to do. That would make two of us.

He sat down next to her, legs folded, and started talking to her in a low soothing voice. "You're fine, Stephanie. Joe isn't here. You're at RangeMan in the gym. No one will hurt you here."

She kept her head covered, but her sobs quieted some. I wasn't sure if Bobby was getting through to her or if she had just worn herself out. I scrubbed my hands across my face, wishing that my cousin were here. The two of them seemed to have some kind of connection. At least, he seemed to be able to calm her down at night when she was having nightmares.

Bobby looked up and motioned for me to come over next to Steph. "Hold her leg still." he whispered quietly, pulling a syringe out of his bag. I knew what was in it, and I was grateful. Maybe a mild sedative was just what she needed. It would calm her down and maybe it would even help her sleep without nightmares tonight.

By that time Stephanie was so exhausted that she barely protested as I gently pressed her leg to the gym floor. Bobby gave her the sedative, and we watched as she relaxed and lay limply on the floor.

I scooped her up and carried her to her apartment. Using her key, I opened the door and carefully placed her on her bed, covering her with a thin sheet. I left the bathroom light on, pulling the door almost closed and walked back out into her living room.

Bobby was waiting on the couch, holding his head in his hands. "I hope I did the right thing, man." He muttered.

I sat down next to him and clapped my hand on his shoulder. "What do you mean?"

He rubbed his hands across his face. "Think about it, Les. She's terrified of men, and we pin her to the ground to give her an injection."

I swallowed hard and nodded. Shit. I hadn't thought of that. I looked over at him and shrugged weakly. "What else could we have done? Left her hysterical on the gym floor until Ranger gets back tomorrow morning?"

Bobby blew out a sigh. "Yeah, I know. I just want her to feel safe here, that's all."

I propped my feet up on her coffee table and got comfortable, prepared to stay for the night. "Me too, man. Me too."

_**TBC**_


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N: Thanks to stephfan6511 and bgrgrmpy for helping with the ideas in this chapter! It's a longer one, so hopefully that makes the Babes happy! Thanks for reading and reviewing! _

**Chapter 10**

**Ranger's POV**

I stepped out of the RangeMan jet, nodded at the pilot, and climbed into the Turbo. I was glad to finally get back to Trenton. All night long, I had had the feeling that something was wrong, off, somehow. At first I assumed that I was being overly cautious about the takedown. After all, it was a two million dollar bond.

I had looked over the plans for the takedown, and they were solid, exactly what I would have put together. The takedown itself went smoothly, and the skip was currently in custody. But I still couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

Headed down the freeway, I glanced at my phone. No missed calls. No messages. I pressed Tank's speed dial, and heard his gruff, "Yo!"

I was sure that he had probably been sleeping. It was 0400. But I just couldn't get rid of this suspicion that something was off.

"Report!" I barked.

Tank groaned. "Fuck, man! I was sound asleep! Can't this wait 'til 0800?"

"No." I said coolly.

He blew out a frustrated breath and reported in on what all of the teams had been up to that night. Surveillance shifts, a response to an alarm, monitors. Nothing unusual.

I narrowed my eyes and scrubbed my face with my hands. "No disturbances at all?"

"Not that I'm aware of."

Suddenly, a thought flashed across my brain. Before I could prevent her name from tumbling out of my mouth, I blurted out, "Stephanie?"

Tank was silent on the other end of the line, and my hands clenched the steering wheel. "Well?" I ground out.

He cleared his throat. "You need to call Les."

Instantly I felt my jaw clench. "Why?"

"Call Les." He repeated before hanging up on me.

I stared at the phone in disbelief. I couldn't believe that my second in command had just refused to give me information and then hung up on me!

Irritated, I punched in Les's number. Unlike Tank, Les sounded wide awake.

"Yo."

"Report!" I barked.

He let out a deep breath. "Listen, Cuz, Bobby and I did what we thought was the right thing to do. She's OK now. She hasn't thrown up for over an hour, and I think she's finally asleep."

I pulled the phone away from my ear and stared at it in disbelief. What the fuck had happened? "Start at the beginning." I growled.

Les cleared his throat nervously. "Did you talk to Tank?"

"He told me to call you. I want an update, and I want it now." I answered in a deathly calm voice.

"I asked Steph to eat dinner with me in the break room and then I offered to show her around the gym. I thought maybe she'd be lonely tonight. You know, with you gone."

My hand was squeezing my phone so tightly that I was sure it was going to snap in two. Relaxing my grip a little, I willed my cousin to pick up the fucking pace already. "And?"

"And she agreed. We were down in the gym checking out the circuit training machines and Manny and Hal were sparring." He paused. "It seems like something about that triggered a memory for Steph. She was holding her hands over her head, cowering on the floor, and screaming for everyone to leave her alone. Bobby and I weren't sure what to do…"

My heart clenched. I wished I had been there to hold her and talk soothingly to her. She seemed to relax immediately when I did that, and I was a little jealous at the thought of Bobby or Les calming her in that way. "What did you do?"

He cleared his throat nervously. "I held her leg, and Bobby sedated her." He said softly.

"What?" I roared. "You pinned her to the fucking gym floor and sedated her?" I pressed the accelerator all the way down to the floor, rocketing towards RangeMan.

"We tried talking to her, Ranger. She just kept screaming. And any time that Bobby or I would get close to her to try to touch her, she would move away or swat at us. We didn't know what else to do!"

"You could have called Tia Ella, dumbass! Maybe she wouldn't have been afraid of another woman."

"Shit." Les swore softly. "We didn't even think of that."

I shook my head and nearly took the next corner on two wheels. I tried to relax my jaw, but it was firmly set. "Why was she throwing up?"

"Ummm…"

"Spit it out!" I ordered.

"Bobby thinks she had an allergic reaction to the sedative. She's been throwing up on and off since we gave it to her. But she hasn't been sick for well over an hour now. He thinks it's all out of her system."

I blew out a frustrated breath. "And she's asleep?"

"Well, she hasn't slept well all night. Maybe a half hour at a time, then she wakes up to get sick or because she's having another nightmare."

"How long has she been asleep?"

"Just about five minutes before you called. Listen, Ranger, I'm really sorry. So is Bobby. But we didn't know what else to do. We didn't want to just leave her like that. Bobby even thought that the sedative might help her to get a good night's sleep without the nightmares. Unfortunately it just didn't work out that way."

"Don't apologize to _me_. You both need to apologize to _her_." I growled before ending the call.

I understood their frustration and feelings of helplessness. If I were in their situation, I don't know what I would have done either. I was surprised that Stephanie hadn't responded when Lester and Bobby tried soothing her. Was it because her memories were that vivid? Or was it because I wasn't there? That thought startled me. Where had that come from? Was I actually hoping for a woman to want me? To need me?

I shook my head to clear it and rounded the corner onto Haywood. I'd have to examine those thoughts later. Right now, I needed to see what kind of clusterfuck Bobby and Les had left for me.

I parked and sprinted up the stairs to the fourth floor. I was assuming that Steph was in her apartment, although Les hadn't said one way or the other. Sure enough, when I pushed open the stairwell door, I could see Manny and Hal outside her door. They were pacing and looked upset.

Manny ran over to me. "Sorry, Boss! We didn't know that it would upset her to see us like that. We were just having fun, working out a little."

I nodded at them. I wasn't reassuring any of them- Bobby and Lester included- until I knew exactly what had gone on in the gym last night.

"We'll speak about it later." I told them both in a clipped tone.

They lowered their eyes and nodded, heading back to their apartments. I pulled out my master key and unlocked Steph's door. I hurriedly made my way back to the bedroom and found Bobby and Lester sitting on her bed. They were trying to talk to her, but it was as if she couldn't hear them at all. She kept fighting her imaginary demons, rolling on the bed, sobbing, and screaming. Les reached out a hand to her, and she yelped when he lightly touched her arm. They both looked over at me sadly. They didn't say anything, but their expressions screamed, "See?"

I walked over and knelt down by the bed. "Babe!"

She froze and turned towards me, her hands fisted in the sheets. "Ranger?" she rasped.

"Yeah, Babe." I reached out a hand and smoothed her hair off of her forehead. "I'm here."

She started crying in earnest then. I kicked off my boots and took off all of my weapons. Peeling my shirt off over my head, I climbed into bed wearing just my cargos. I pulled her over next to me and rubbed her back gently, whispering to her in Spanish. She clung to me, her sobs fading to hiccups, and then nothing.

Bobby and Lester just shook their heads, their eyes wide in disbelief. I didn't understand it myself. I was just glad that I was able to comfort her. They stood up to walk out of the room, and I motioned to them. Les raised an eyebrow in question.

"We're both off-line until at least 1300 hours. I want to make sure she sleeps, and she has an appointment with Dr. Michaels at 1100 hours."

"Got it." Bobby responded. They both walked out of the bedroom, closing the door behind them.

I looked down at the small woman wrapped in my arms and shook my head. Unbelievable. That was the only word that described this whole situation.

**R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S**

Stephanie had cuddled into my side, one leg and one arm thrown across me. She had been softly snoring on and off since I crawled into bed with her a little after 0400, but she never had another nightmare.

I trailed my fingers lightly up and down her arm and studied her face. The bruises were slowly fading from the bright purple they had been when she arrived here, and her face was so relaxed while she was sleeping. Sometimes even when she was with me, there was a tenseness, a nervousness about her. Tiny lines around her mouth and eyes showed her distress. But while she was sleeping, her face was free of all of that. She looked so innocent, so sweet.

I wrapped my arms around her and nuzzled her wild curls. Her leg brushed across my groin, and I groaned as my body reacted to her. Willing myself to relax, I rubbed small circles on her back.

"Stephanie!" I said in a low voice.

"Mmmmm!" she moaned, burying her face in my shoulder.

My lips quirked. "It's time to get up, Babe. You have an appointment with Dr. Michaels in an hour."

She pressed her body into mine. "Don't wanna!" she complained.

I chuckled. She sounded like a little kid arguing with their mother about getting up for school. I kissed her forehead. "Come on, Babe. Maybe I can get Ella to make you some waffles."

She tipped her head up just slightly and looked at me with bleary eyes. She pushed her hair out of her face with one hand. "Waffles?" she repeated hopefully.

I smiled. "Yeah, Babe. Waffles. Do you like waffles?"

Her eyes widened as she nodded.

"Then get up and get your shower, and I'll call Ella. You can eat your waffles and then we can head down to your appointment with Dr. Michaels."

She tipped her head, her forehead wrinkled in confusion. "What time is it?"

"1000 hours."

Her nose wrinkled. "Ten hundred hours? What is that? Military time?"

I smirked and kissed her nose. "Yep. 1000 hours is 10:00 am."

She gasped and jumped up. "But I'll have to cancel! I have so much work to do! It's all piled up on my desk." She twisted her hands nervously. "I don't know how I slept this late!"

I rubbed her arms. "I think you had a little help with the sleeping late, Stephanie."

"What do you mean?"

I patted her arm. "Go get showered. We'll talk over breakfast, OK?"

She bit her lip and nodded, jumping out of bed. She grabbed some clothes and headed into the bathroom. Once I heard the shower running, I called Ella. She was more than happy to bring waffles to Stephanie's apartment. I could hear the smile in her voice, and I rolled my eyes. My aunt was playing matchmaker, I could tell.

I peeked in Stephanie's closet, looking for an extra uniform. All of the empty apartments here at RangeMan had extra uniforms in a variety of sizes. It was done intentionally so that the men were covered if they had to stay over unexpectedly. I found several pairs of pants, socks, and a few T-shirts. I found a uniform that would work and waited for Steph to finish her shower. She opened the door dressed in her own uniform, and walked out into the bedroom.

I gently squeezed her arm and walked past her. "OK if I borrow your shower, Babe?"

She nodded. "Of course."

**R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S **

Ella had been only too happy to deliver waffles. In fact, I'm pretty sure that she was headed to call my mother, her sister, to report in on the number of meals that Stephanie and I had eaten together in the last several days.

Stephanie and I talked about what happened in the gym, and I was surprised that she couldn't remember the incident at all. I repeated the story that Les had told me and promised her that we would figure out exactly what happened some time this afternoon.

After finishing our breakfast, we headed to the second floor for Stephanie's appointment. I was happy to see that Dr. Michaels was ready and waiting for us when we arrived. She greeted us both with a big smile and shook hands with Stephanie. We sat across from her again, making ourselves comfortable on the loveseat.

Dr. Michaels pulled out her journal and looked at the notes she had made from the last session.

"So, Stephanie. How did your homework assignment go?" she asked, smiling.

Stephanie grimaced. "Well, unfortunately, I think I was able to come up with answers to all of your questions."

Dr. Michaels nodded. "Let's start by talking about the nightmares themselves. What sorts of things do you see in them?"

I squeezed Stephanie's hand, and she answered. "They're always different. Sometimes I'm reliving events that actually happened, and sometimes I'm imagining things. But it's always me and Joe. He's always attacking me in some way. A few nights ago I dreamed that he had tied me down on the bed. Another time I dreamed that he was chasing me around the house. I would run and run and run from him, and he was always just a step or two behind me."

Dr. Michaels nodded. "Have you had any night where your dreams seemed worse, Stephanie?"

She chewed on her lip, and her eyes flicked over at me nervously. "Well, last night was pretty bad."

"Did anything stressful happen during the day yesterday that may have caused your dreams to be worse?"

Stephanie nodded. "Ranger was in Boston all day yesterday, so I was already anxious about going to sleep. I just knew that I would have nightmares and not be able to do anything about them. His cousin Lester must have been worried about me. He invited me to join him for dinner and offered to show me around the gym."

"That was nice of him." Dr. Michaels offered.

Stephanie nodded in agreement. "Yes, it was."

"Did something stressful happen during dinner or at the gym?"

Stephanie bit her lip and looked up at me. "Would you mind explaining it, Ranger? It's not that I don't want to; I can't. I really don't remember anything that happened last night."

I nodded and turned to Dr. Michaels to explain when an idea hit me. Turning back to Steph, I asked "Would you like to watch the security footage of what happened last night? I could have one of the guys bring up a laptop and we could watch the camera footage from the gym."

Stephanie nodded, sitting up straighter. "I'd really like to see what happened because I hate not knowing. There's a span of several hours that are just gone- poof! Erased completely from my mind. It's weird to know that everyone else knows what I did except me. And I was the one doing it!"

She looked hesitantly over at Dr. Michaels. "Is it OK if we watch the tape?"

"Absolutely, Stephanie. I think it will be helpful for both of us to watch it. You will be able to see exactly what happened and restore your memory of last night, and I will be able to see your reaction to a stressful situation."

I called down to the control room and asked Binkie to bring a laptop down to our conference room. He got it all set up, and I logged in and accessed the security recordings.

I looked over at Stephanie. "Any idea what time you guys went to gym, Babe?"

She tipped her head and thought about it. "Well, we ate dinner around 5:00, and then we changed into gym clothes and headed down, so maybe 6:00?"

I nodded and cued up the gym surveillance for 1800 hours. Sure enough, I could see Les and Steph near the circuit training machines. It looked as though they had just started the rotation. Les was writing on a clipboard while Steph tried out one of the machines. I selected the camera with the best angle and turned off the footage from the other gym cameras. The audio was turned off for the gym and the gun range. There was so much noise interference that you wouldn't be able to hear anything recorded in those two locations anyhow. I was hoping that it wouldn't make a difference. From what Les had said, we should be able to see what had happened.

We all watched as Stephanie tried out several machines on the circuit. They were moving towards the leg press machine, when Steph jumped and whirled around, looking behind her. You could see panic and fear on her face. Les had his back to her, setting up the machine, and he hadn't noticed her reaction yet. He turned around just in time to see her slump to the ground, cowering, with her arms over her head. Les looked horrified. He glanced around to see what had happened, and his gaze stopped on Manny and Hal who were just barely visible from this angle.

He reached out to her, but she was shaking and moving away from him. Even without the audio, it was clear that she was afraid. Her posture was one of fear and defensiveness. She was trying to protect herself from a perceived threat. Unfortunately, right now, that was Les. He crouched down and tried again to say something to her, but her mouth opened wide in what I'm sure was a bloodcurdling scream. She scooted away, and this time Les didn't try to approach her again.

He ran his hands through his hair and made a call on his cell phone. Seconds later, Bobby came into view on the footage. He tried to approach her with the same results as Les. According to the timer in the bottom right hand corner, she had been inconsolable for about eight minutes. I watched as Bobby said something to Les. Les leaned down and held her leg still while Bobby reached into his bag and pulled out a syringe. He injected her with the needle, and Steph's whole body went limp. Lester carefully picked her up and carried her out the door.

I stopped the feed and looked up at Steph. She had tears silently running down her face as she stared blankly at the frozen picture of Les cradling her gently in his arms.

"Tell me what you're thinking, Stephanie." Dr. Michaels said softly.

She swiped her hand across her face. "Why can't I remember that? It's certainly memorable!"

Dr. Michaels chuckled lightly. "Your mind was protecting itself. It's not uncommon at all for people to lose large chunks of time, especially if the incident they are forgetting is traumatic in some way."

Steph looked at her skeptically. "Really?"

"Really. In fact, I myself have a large chunk of time that I can't remember."

Steph raised her eyebrows at her. "What happened?"

"When I was nineteen, I was driving home from a friend's birthday party. I was headed to babysit my nephews so that my brother and sister-in-law could go out for the evening. On my way to their house, a car crossed the yellow line and hit me head-on. I never lost consciousness, but according to the nurses, my brain was caught in a 'loop.' I kept asking the same three questions over and over again for hours- What happened? Where were my nephews? Were they OK? I was convinced that they had been in the car with me, and I was worried about them."

Stephanie gasped. "Oh no! Were they OK?"

"They weren't with me. I had been on my way to their house, but my brain had gotten kind of scrambled, I guess. I was thinking about them and somehow I thought they were already with me. When they would ask me questions about the accident, I couldn't remember anything. I didn't even remember leaving my friend's house."

"Did you ever get the memory back? Remember what happened?" Steph asked in a low voice.

She shook her head. "Never. There's about 6 hours that I can't account for. And, as you said, it's a very strange feeling to know that there are people who were there and know what you did, what happened, but you don't."

"Doesn't that bother you? That you can't remember, I mean?"

"It used to. I used to try to make myself remember. I even talked to the EMTs and the people who arrived first on the scene to try to piece everything together. But in the end, I decided that maybe it was best if I didn't remember. It was obviously a scary and traumatic event, and maybe my brain had the right idea. Every once in a while I would get a little flash of the incident, but I was never really sure if I was actually remembering what had happened or just what people had told me. And it's possible that I was just making it up. In any case, it's been many, many years, and I've gotten over losing a few hours. There are certainly many other hours that I can't remember either. Hours spent sitting in a boring class for example. I just decided to quit worrying about it."

Steph looked at Dr. Michaels for a long time before squaring her shoulders and nodded in a determined way. "You're right." She agreed. "Thanks for sharing that with me."

Dr. Michaels smiled. "My pleasure, Stephanie. I'm glad that my story was able to help you in some way. Now, how do you feel about what you saw on the tape?"

She glanced over at me before responding. "Embarrassed. I obviously completely overreacted to the situation. And poor Bobby and Les."

I cleared my throat and spoke up. "How do you feel about Bobby sedating you, Babe?"

She chewed on her lip thoughtfully. "I guess I can understand why they did it. I mean, you saw how I was acting. I wouldn't even let them come near me. Poor Les! I almost kicked him right in the face!"

I rubbed her arms. "Would you be afraid to be around Bobby and Les now? Do you still feel that you can trust them after what you saw?"

She turned and looked at me. "Of course. I know why they did it." She gestured at the screen, showing Lester holding her. "And they were both very gentle with me, even afterwards."

Dr. Michaels cleared her throat. "So this incident caused you to have very bad nightmares last night, Stephanie?"

She nodded.

"How much sleep did you end up getting last night?"

She blushed and looked over at me before looking back down at her hands. "I'm not really sure." She admitted softly.

I squeezed her shoulder and answered for her. "Bobby and Les took her back to her apartment when they left the gym. They said that she had an allergic reaction to the shot, so she would sleep for about a half hour and then wake up to throw up or because she was having a bad dream. That went on until about 4:00 this morning."

"What happened at 4:00?" Dr. Michaels questioned.

"I got back from Boston."

She nodded for me to continue.

"I went straight to Steph's apartment when I got back. She was in the middle of a nightmare when I got there. I calmed her down and held her for a while. She went right back to sleep."

"Did she have any nightmares while you were there?"

I shook my head no.

"And you said you got back around 4:00?"

I nodded. "A little after 4:00, yes."

"And how long did Stephanie sleep?"

I smiled and kissed the top of her head. "Until I bribed her with waffles at 10:00."

Dr. Michaels smiled at both of us. "Well, Stephanie, I think we've figured out what makes your nightmares better."

Stephanie looked up at me and blushed. "Yes, but I can't expect Ranger to stay with me every night."

"Would you like to talk about medication?"

Stephanie looked down at her hands. "I hate taking medicine." She said in a low voice. "I even try to avoid taking an aspirin unless I really need it. I just think it's too easy to become dependent on them."

Dr. Michaels tipped her head to the side. "Well, then we're kind of stuck, Stephanie. Without medication you are likely to continue having difficulty sleeping."

I completely understood Stephanie's aversion to the sleeping pills because I felt the same way about unnecessary medication. I grabbed her hands and squeezed them gently. "I'm willing to stay with Stephanie at night for a while. Let's hold off on the medication and see if we're able to figure out something on our own. Sound OK?"

"Let me make a few suggestions then." Dr. Michaels offered.

Stephanie nodded gratefully.

"Try to create a bedtime routine, similar to what parents do with small children. Choose a time for bed and then count back about an hour. Do things that you find calming, relaxing, or soothing in that hour. Take a bath, have a small glass of wine, listen to classical music, read, whatever you like. When it's time for bed, do your nightly routine of washing your face, brushing your teeth, putting on your pajamas, and climbing into bed. Try leaving on a small nightlight if the dark seems to bother you. Some people have found that scents can be comforting as well. Maybe an air freshener or candle in a familiar scent would help."

I listened to Dr. Michaels's suggestions and had to bite back a smile. We already a nighttime routine. Steph would eat dinner with me, relax on the couch with wine and some music or a movie. Then we would get ready for bed. Instead of a candle or a nightlight, she just seemed to need me to relax her.

"Try some of those suggestions, Stephanie, and I'll see you again next week, OK?"

Stephanie nodded and thanked Dr. Michaels again for her help. We set up an appointment for early next week before walking her out to the elevator.

**R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S**

After Steph's appointment, we both headed down to 5 to get some work done. Because of her appointment, she insisted on staying over an hour later at the end of her shift. It didn't bother me at all if she made up the hour, but I knew that it was important to her. Stephanie had a tremendous work ethic and a lot of pride. She wanted to do her job. She wanted to earn her salary. She didn't want things handed to her. And I could respect that, so I let it go.

When I promised to come and get her at 1800 hours, she tipped her head and wrinkled her nose. I could almost see the gears turning in her head. "6:00 pm, Babe." I had clarified. She just smiled and shook her head.

Glancing at the clock, I saw that it was already 1730. I had meant to call Ella earlier to let her know what time Stephanie would be joining me for dinner. I picked up the phone to give her a call.

"_Hola, Carlitos!"_ my Aunt answered.

"_Hola, Tia!"_ I responded. "Could you please bring dinner for two tonight?"

I could hear the smile in her voice when she answered me. "Will Stephanie be joining you again this evening?"

"Yes." I responded patiently.

"Should I bring her dessert?" she asked.

"That would be nice." I agreed.

"What time?"

I glanced over at the clock. "We'll be headed upstairs in about a half hour. Any time after that would be fine."

She agreed, and I hung up to finish the last few invoices that needed my approval.

**R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S**

After dinner, Stephanie and I settled into our regular spots on the couch, and she leaned into me.

"So, if I weren't here right now, taking up all of your time, what would you be doing?"

"After dinner you mean?" I clarified.

She nodded.

"Work."

She turned and looked at me, concerned. "Am I keeping you from getting stuff done?"

I smiled and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "No, Babe. It's not that I _have_ to work that much. It's that I _choose_ to."

She tipped her head to the side. "Why do you choose to work so many hours?"

I lifted my shoulders just slightly. "What else would I be doing?"

She looked at me steadily. "Spending time with family? Or friends? Or a girlfriend?"

I shook my head. "I don't keep in touch with most of my family. And everyone I would consider a friend works here."

She bit her lip and nodded. "No girlfriend?" she questioned quietly.

I smiled at her. "Are you applying for the job, Babe?" I teased.

She blushed and looked down. I reached out and tipped her chin back up, looking at her. Without thinking, I leaned in and pressed my lips gently against hers. She responded, and I deepened the kiss, sliding my tongue along the seam of her lips.

Suddenly she gasped and pulled back, her eyes wide, and immediately I regretted what I had done. I grabbed her hands and began apologizing profusely.

"I'm so sorry, Babe! I know it's too soon. I should have waited..." Before I could finish my apology, Stephanie leaned in and pressed her lips against mine, kissing me thoroughly. I was stunned, and it took me a few seconds to realize what she was doing and to respond.

She pulled back and looked down, her cheeks bright red. "I'm so sorry, Ranger! I don't know what came over me! I don't usually throw myself at guys I've just met."

I cupped her face in my hands. "Stop apologizing." I whispered. I leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss against her lips.

She rested her head against my shoulder and looked up at me hesitantly. "So where do we go from here?" she whispered tentatively.

_**TBC**_


	11. Chapter 11

_A/N: Thanks to Amy (stephfan6511) and Margaret Fowler for their suggestions on the dialogue between Ranger and Steph. And thanks to many of you who reviewed or messaged and encouraged me to hurry up and get them off the couch already! ;)_

_**Bold section from chapter 10 (Ranger's POV)**_

**She bit her lip and nodded. "No girlfriend?" she questioned quietly.**

**I smiled at her. "Are you applying for the job, Babe?" I teased.**

**She blushed and looked down. I reached out and tipped her chin back up, looking at her. Without thinking, I leaned in and pressed my lips gently against hers. She responded, and I deepened the kiss, sliding my tongue along the seam of her lips.**

**Suddenly she gasped and pulled back, her eyes wide, and immediately I regretted what I had done. I grabbed her hands and began apologizing profusely.**

"**I'm so sorry, Babe! I know it's too soon. I should have waited..." Before I could finish my apology, Stephanie leaned in and pressed her lips against mine, kissing me thoroughly. I was stunned, and it took me a few seconds to realize what she was doing and to respond.**

**She pulled back and looked down, her cheeks bright red. "I'm so sorry, Ranger! I don't know what came over me! I don't usually throw myself at guys I've just met."**

**I cupped her face in my hands. "Stop apologizing." I whispered. I leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss against her lips.**

**She rested her head against my shoulder and looked up at me hesitantly. "So where do we go from here?" she whispered tentatively. **

**Chapter 11**

**Steph's POV**

I looked up at Ranger nervously, waiting to see what his answer would be.

He blew out a frustrated sigh and wrapped his arms around me. "I have no idea, Babe." He finally answered. "I know that I am drawn to you for some reason. I need to be around you." He paused and ran his fingers through my hair.

I looked up at him. "Me too." I whispered.

"I felt like something was off all night last night. At first I thought it was the takedown. Then I realized that something was wrong here. With you. And when I thought of Bobby and Lester being the ones comforting you..." He frowned and cupped my face with his hands, looking into my eyes as if he were searching for something.

I bit my lip and then blurted out, "I don't think I've ever trusted a guy as much as I trust you."

He lifted my hand and kissed my knuckles. "I'll try very hard not to break that trust." He promised.

I cleared my throat softly. "So…"

"So, let's take things slowly. You need to time to heal and to make sure that this is what you want. And I haven't been in any kind of relationship in over a decade."

I nodded and laid my head back down on his shoulder. I was pretty sure this was what I wanted, but I was relieved to hear Ranger say that he wanted to take things slowly. I didn't want to go too fast and make a mistake.

I sat wrapped in his arms for what felt like hours. But when I looked at the clock on the DVD player, it had really only been 10 minutes. I moved to curl my legs up underneath me and couldn't help the sharp intake of breath when a pain shot through my right leg.

Ranger pulled back and studied my face. His eyes were hard and his lips were pursed. "Is your leg bothering you?"

I nodded and rubbed it absently.

"You never did talk to Bobby about that you know." He chided gently.

I looked down. "I know." Truthfully, I had been avoiding the conversation. Although with the way this place ran, I was surprised that Bobby had let me put it off as long as he had. There was probably a to-do list somewhere in his clinic with my name on it.

Ranger flicked his eyes to the clock on the DVD player. It was a little before 8:00. "Want to talk with him now?"

I chewed my lip nervously. "Not really." I admitted.

He held my face and looked at me carefully. "Are you afraid to be around Bobby after what happened in the gym?"

I shook my head. "No. I'm just not really looking forward to a conversation about slicing my leg open and breaking the bone." I shuddered.

Ranger got a small smile on his face and shook his head.

"What?" I asked defensively.

"Look at everything you've already been through and dealt with. I think you're one of the bravest and strongest women I know, Babe. You can handle this talk with Bobby." He said softly.

I blushed. "You think I'm brave and strong?" I squeaked out.

He smiled and nodded. "Of course I do. You had to be strong to put up with Morelli for as long as you did. And then you had to be brave to leave."

I squared my shoulders and nodded. "OK. Let's talk to Bobby."

He patted my shoulder and then leaned in to whisper in my ear, "Proud of you, Babe."

**R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S**

We made our way down to Bobby's clinic and found him in a storage room, organizing some supplies. He looked up, surprised, when we came in. His eyes flicked between Ranger and me, and I was sure that he was trying to figure out why we were there and whether or not we were angry with him. I decided to let him off the hook immediately.

I walked over to him and placed a hand on his arm. "Bobby, I'm so sorry about what happened in the gym last night." I apologized.

He looked completely confused. "What are _you_ apologizing for? _I_ should be the one apologizing to _you_! I drugged you, and you ended up having an allergic reaction to the medication!" He looked up at me sadly. "I'm so sorry, Stephanie. Can you ever forgive me?"

I nodded and looked back at Ranger. "Ranger pulled up the camera footage from the gym. I saw what happened and how out of control I was. I understand what you did."

He blew out a relieved sigh and a small smile appeared on his face. "Good!"

Ranger came up behind me and placed his hand at the small of my back. "Stephanie is actually here to talk to you about her leg if you have a minute."

Bobby nodded quickly. "Absolutely! Come on in!" He gestured for us to walk into one of the exam rooms.

Bobby asked more questions about the type of pain that I had- where was it exactly, what did it feel like, how often did it happen, that kind of stuff. He hemmed and hawed and looked at the x-rays a few more times. Sighing, he sat them down on the small counter.

"Sorry, Steph." He grimaced. "I still think the best option is for you to have the surgery."

I swallowed nervously and nodded. "Can you do it?"

He nodded. "I could, but I think you should see an orthopedic specialist. This isn't just a matter of setting a break. This is a break that has healed incorrectly. It's going to need some special attention."

I twisted my hands. "That sounds kind of expensive."

Bobby tipped his head. "You don't have any kind of insurance?"

I chewed my lip and shook my head no. "I lost my coverage when E. E. Martin closed. Joe couldn't add me to his because I wasn't his wife, and I didn't have any money to buy my own insurance."

Ranger dropped a kiss on my head. "You're covered, Babe." He reassured me.

I looked at him in wide eyed disbelief. "Huh?"

"You're working for RangeMan now. You qualify for our health insurance. You're fully covered."

I just gaped at him. "Isn't there usually some kind of waiting period? Or like a 90 day probationary period or something?"

He shook his head. "Nope."

I felt a huge smile spread across my face, and I let out a relieved sigh. "That's great!"

Ranger turned to Bobby. "Can you recommend someone to do the surgery?"

Bobby nodded. "Yeah, I know a few people. The doctor I want is fairly close. Let me call him and see if there's any way he can work Steph into his surgery schedule in the next few days."

"The next few days?" I squeaked, wide eyed.

Bobby took my hands gently. "It's not going to get any better on its own. The sooner you get it fixed, the better. You're complaining of pretty frequent pain. I'd think you'd want to have it done soon."

I chewed my lip. "I want the pain to go away. I'm just nervous about the surgery."

Bobby smiled. "The doctor I'm going to call is excellent at what he does, Steph. It's who I'd want to operate on me. The surgery will be no problem."

I nodded. "Will I have to wear a cast after? Use crutches?"

Bobby gave a small shrug. "Those are all possibilities. Let me call Dr. Newhouse first thing tomorrow. Once I send him your x-rays he'll be able to determine the best way to fix your leg. Then he can let you know those answers."

I blew out a sigh. "OK, thanks." I answered weakly.

We all stood up to leave, and I thanked Bobby again for his advice. Pausing in the doorway, I turned back around. "Bobby?"

He looked up from rereading my medical chart. "Yeah?"

I bit my lip and hesitated before blurting out, "Could you tell Lester I'm really sorry about last night?"

Bobby gave me a small smile. "I could, but I think he'd rather hear it from you. He was pretty worried last night. He was afraid that you and Ranger were going to skin us both alive."

Ranger's expression darkened just slightly. "The thought crossed my mind."

I looked up at him with raised eyebrows, but I didn't say anything.

"You want me to call Les?" Bobby offered.

I nodded.

Bobby pulled out his phone and got a wicked grin on his face. He dialed Lester. "Hey, Les. Ranger and Steph are in my clinic. They want to talk to you about last night."

Bobby's tone was somber, and I knew that Les would think he was in serious trouble. I widened my eyes at Bobby, but he just put a finger across his lips, encouraging me to stay quiet. He finished up by ordering Lester to come down to the 3rd floor ASAP.

"Bobby!" I gasped once he had ended the call. "Les is gonna think we're pissed at him!"

"That's the general idea!" he grinned. "I like to keep him on his toes."

**R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S**

Les and I had immediately apologized to each other, and he was glad to know that his body was going to remain intact and in one piece.

We were finished talking and Ranger and I headed back up to 7. We had just gotten out of the elevator when his phone rang. He glanced at the display and barked "Yo!"

He eyes flicked to me and then down to the floor. "Show him to a room on 2." Then he ended the call.

Ranger pulled me back into the elevator and hit the button for the second floor. I turned to him, my forehead creased in confusion. He tipped his head to the side and studied my face. "Eddie's here, Babe. He says it's urgent."

I nodded stiffly and felt the color drain from my face. When the doors opened on 2, my body was frozen in place. Ranger wrapped an arm around my waist and gently guided me towards the conference room where Eddie was waiting.

We walked through the door, and Eddie crossed the room to give me a hug. I smiled weakly at him.

Ranger's face was all business. "You needed to see us?"

Eddie cleared his throat. "Yeah. There's been some new information that I think you guys need to be aware of."

He looked down at his hands. "At first we were ignoring all of the tips and information related to Stephanie's car. We thought it was irrelevant because her car was found back at the house. But then one of the neighbors called in and said she had some information to add to her statement. I went out to talk to her, and…" he paused and glanced up at us.

I felt a stab of panic run through my body and settle in the pit of my stomach. I looked at Eddie with raised eyebrows and covered my mouth with my hands. "Did she see Les returning the car?"

He nodded. "She couldn't identify him, but she said that she remembered seeing a man get out of the driver's seat and walk towards the house. At first she thought it was Joe, so she didn't think to mention it. Then when she realized your time of disappearance was suspected as late afternoon, she panicked. She figured that was the person who had abducted you, and she was very upset that she hadn't mentioned it during her initial interview."

I sucked in a deep breath. "Does Joe know?"

Eddie reached out and held my hands gently. "Not yet. I just left Mrs. Vilecco's house. But as soon as I get back to the station and file the report, he'll know." He paused. "I think you need to file the charges pretty soon, Steph."

My stomach clenched. "Why?" I choked out.

"Because Joe is a good cop. He's going to start to put things together. If he finds out that someone else was driving your car, he'll start pulling footage from traffic cameras."

I looked at him, confused. "I don't understand, Eddie. What do you mean?"

"There are traffic cameras all around town, Steph. If Joe knows that someone else had your car, he'll start backtracking from his house. He'll tap into the cameras off Slater and keep going backwards until he finds out where the guy started from." He gave me a meaningful look.

I sat down hard in one of the chairs around the conference room table. My eyes were wide and unseeing. Eddie had continued talking, but the blood rushing in my ears made it impossible for me to hear him.

He kneeled down in front of me, concerned. "Steph? Did you hear what I just asked?"

I shook my head no.

"Where did your car start out that afternoon?" he repeated.

I looked up at Ranger. "Here." I rasped out.

Eddie nodded. "That's what I thought. You need to file, Stephanie. Now."

I looked at Eddie, terrified.

"If you don't, he'll track you back here anyhow. He's going to know where you are one way or the other. Wouldn't you rather be in control of what he knows and when he knows it?"

I nodded yes, but I could feel the panic trying to claw its way up from my stomach. I couldn't speak, and I couldn't make my eyes focus on Eddie or Ranger for more than a few seconds. The blood was back to rushing in my ears, and I started shaking.

I was vaguely aware of the fact that Ranger had knelt down in front of me. He was talking in a low, soothing voice, but I couldn't make out the words. He placed his hands lightly on my arms, and I jumped. He began running them gently up to my shoulders and back down again. He repeated this several times before pulling me into his lap, so that we were both sitting on the floor. He wrapped his arms around me, cuddling me into his chest.

I took several deep breaths, and I felt the fog lifting slightly. I could make out some of what Ranger was saying- "…be OK, don't worry…" and other comforting things.

I picked my head up and looked at him, swallowing nervously.

His hands cupped my cheeks and studied my face intently. "You OK now, Babe?"

I gave him a weak smile and a small nod. He didn't look convinced.

His lips brushed my ear. "I won't let anything happen to you, Babe. Do you believe that?"

I nodded. I did believe that. I was serious when I told Ranger that I had never trusted a man as much as I trusted him. And that included my father.

When I was young, I trusted my parents implicitly. All kids do. But as I grew older, I trusted their decision making abilities less and less. When my parents were willing to overlook Joe's abuse and continue to insist that I marry him, any faith or trust that I had once had in them completely evaporated. That was a sad realization. Your parents are supposed to be the people who love you more than life. The ones who will go out of their way to protect you, help you, defend you. When I finally admitted that my parents didn't fit that description, I had to admit that no one else in my life did either. Joe certainly didn't. Neither did Val. She was too busy with her family to worry about me. Mary Lou and my grandmother might be the closest thing, but they still couldn't help me. I glanced up at Ranger. I was a little afraid to assign such a large and important role to a man that I had only known for 5 days. Although he seemed more than willing and able to take on the responsibility.

I looked up at Eddie and Ranger. I cleared my throat and tried to make my voice sound stronger than I felt. "What do I need to do to file?"

_**TBC**_


	12. Chapter 12

_A/N: Thank you all for the many reviews and PMs. I really appreciate the encouragement! Sorry this chapter took a little longer. It is the end of the school year for me and my class of wild children! ;) (The natives are DEFINITELY getting restless!) This chapter is a little longer to make up for the delay! _

**Bold section from Chapter 11**

**I looked up at Eddie and Ranger. I cleared my throat and tried to make my voice sound stronger than I felt. "What do I need to do to file?"**

**Chapter 12**

Ranger looked over at Eddie. "I don't want her to have to go down to the station. Can Tom file for her?"

Eddie played with his collar and looked at Ranger nervously. "He can file for her, but she should still come down and make her statement."

Ranger's eyes narrowed slightly. "Can't you take her statement now?"

Eddie cleared his throat and looked at me. "The chief prefers for statements to be taken at the station. But, yeah, I can do it here. If Steph really doesn't want to come down."

I nodded, relieved. I _really_ didn't want to go down. And that was putting it mildly.

Ranger called Tom while Eddie took my statement. Once we were done, Eddie looked over the evidence that Tom had collected- my statement to him, the x-rays, the pictures Bobby had taken, and Bobby's records of what had caused the injuries.

I watched Eddie's face while he looked over everything. Most of the time he looked angry, but a few times I thought he was going to be sick. When he'd finally worked his way through the stack of evidence, he stood up and walked around the table to me. He pulled me up out of my chair and held me in a tight hug.

"I'm so sorry, Steph!" he whispered in a raspy voice.

I pulled back and nodded. "I know." I whispered back.

He cleared his throat and took a few deep breaths. Finally getting himself back under control, he looked up at Tom. "You ready?"

Tom nodded, and the two of them left for the police station.

In an effort to keep my mind off of things, Ranger took me back upstairs to his apartment. We changed into sweats and settled in to watch a movie. Almost as soon as the movie started, Ranger's phone started beeping. Text messages were coming in roughly every minute. About half way through the movie, I finally paused it and sat up, staring at him.

"What's going on?" I demanded.

He looked at me with a blank face. "What do you mean?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "I'm not an idiot, Ranger. You've never gotten that many text messages before. They obviously have something to do with me and the charges Tom is filing. What's going on?"

He blew out a deep breath. "The guys are sending me updates."

"And?" I questioned when he didn't elaborate further.

"And there's a lot to update on."

"Such as?" How incredibly rude would it be to strangle the one guy who seems to want to help me? I wondered.

He gave me an assessing look. "Tom was able to file all of the charges. However, he wasn't able to obtain a restraining order. The courts are closed. He'll be down there first thing tomorrow, but for tonight, there's nothing."

My heart leapt into my throat. "What if Joe comes here?" I gasped, panicking.

"He's here right now, Babe. That was the last text from Cal."

I stared at him, wide eyed. "He's in the building?"

Ranger shook his head. "He's standing outside the lobby, talking to Cal through the intercom, and demanding to see you."

I felt the color drain from my face, and I shook my head no, violently moving it from side to side.

Ranger reached over and cupped my face in his dark hands. "We're not letting him in, Babe. The door is locked. Cal would have to buzz him in, and he's under strict orders not to."

Ranger's phone beeped again, and he looked down at it. I raised my eyebrows at him expectantly, and he flipped the phone around so I could read the screen.

_Morelli is kicking the windows and threatening to shoot the door out._

I looked at Ranger in alarm. "Can he do that?"

"No. All of the glass down there is bullet-proof."

I nodded, and the phone beeped again. I crawled into Ranger's lap so that we could both read the update at the same time.

_He just badged me and said he's calling for back-up if I don't open the door._

Ranger texted back: _On what grounds?_

Cal replied immediately: _Kidnapping._

I looked over at Ranger and laughed. "But you didn't kidnap me! He has to know that! I'm sure he saw the statement from Eddie and all of the evidence that Tom brought in. How does he think he's going to explain all of that away?"

Ranger shook his head. "I'm sure he's not in his right mind, Babe. He wants to see you. In a way, I don't blame him." He leaned down and kissed my forehead.

His phone beeped again, and we looked at the new message from Cal: _Boss?_

He tapped away. _Do NOT let him in. If back-up arrives, call me._

As soon as he hit send, the phone started ringing. Ranger looked at the read out. "Connie." He announced, answering with a "Yo!"

I leaned my head closer to his so that I could hear the conversation.

"Ranger, this is Connie! Is Steph still with you?"

"Yes, she is. Why?"

"There's a rumor going around the Burg that your guys kidnapped her and are holding her against her will at RangeMan. Something about an old grudge with Morelli."

Ranger just smirked, but I was angry. I hated that these guys were going to be drug through the mud because of me.

Connie continued, clearly unperturbed by the silence on Ranger's end. "I wouldn't be surprised if Joe or Steph's family called or showed up there."

Ranger finally spoke again. "Joe is here, and Steph's mother has called twice."

I jumped in surprise and looked at Ranger. _She has?_ I mouthed. He nodded.

Connie whistled. "What are you gonna do about Joe?"

Ranger's mouth tightened just slightly. "He says he's calling for back-up, so we'll see what happens."

"Are you gonna let him in?" she squeaked.

"Not if I can help it." Ranger growled. He looked at me. "And if we have to let him in, he's not getting anywhere near Steph. That I can guarantee."

Ranger's phone beeped, indicating another call. "I've gotta go, Connie. I have another call coming in."

"OK. Just take care of her, please?"

Ranger glanced at me. "I will." He reassured Connie.

He hit a button, switching over to the other call. "Yo!"

I could hear Cal's nervous voice on the other end. "Sir, the chief of police is here. He's demanding to be let in."

A small muscle near Ranger's jaw began jumping slightly. "Call Tom. Tell the chief you need to consult with the RangeMan attorney first."

Ranger ended the call and ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

I hated that I was the cause of all of this drama. This was Ranger's business. His home. And the home of most of his employees. And I was bringing them all into my problems. I chewed on my lip nervously. Maybe I should just go down and talk to Joe one-on-one, get it over with. Maybe that would end all of this.

I turned to look at Ranger and tell him what I was thinking, but before I could open my mouth, he gently cupped my face and spoke in a firm voice. "Absolutely not, Stephanie. You are not going down there to talk to him by yourself. If we have to let him in, I'll be there with you. And you are not dragging all of us into this. We chose to help you."

I looked back at him, eyes wide. How on earth did he know that's what I was thinking? Unless… "Out loud?" I squeaked.

He gave me a small smile. "Yeah, Babe. Out loud."

I shook my head slightly. "Ranger, be reasonable. He wants to talk to me. He's not going to go away until that happens. I could talk to him through the intercom, right?"

Ranger's mouth tightened. "Do you really think he'd leave after he talked to you through the intercom?"

I sucked in a deep breath and thought hard. I slowly shook my head. "No, probably not." I admitted.

"So then what? You're going to go outside to talk to him? Leave with him? Give him another chance?"

I hadn't thought that far ahead, but I knew that what Ranger said was true. Joe wouldn't be satisfied with just talking to me through a speaker. He would want me to come outside and talk to him. He'd try to talk me into forgiving him, giving him another chance. He'd want me to go home with him and start over like nothing had ever happened. Joe would be furious about all of the attention that this case had put on him. On us. I'd have to drop the charges. Maybe even lie and say that I _had_ been kidnapped by Ranger and his guys.

Ranger was right. Joe wouldn't be satisfied until I left with him. And I had no intention of doing that. So what did that mean for me? I tried gulping in a few big breaths of air, but I couldn't get them to go all the way down to my lungs. It's as if my throat was closing in, and the air was trapped there, unable to go any further. I looked up at Ranger, panicked.

He gently pulled my back against his chest and pressed my head down between my knees. "Deep breaths, Babe. Push up against my hand and take deep breaths."

I concentrated on pushing my head back against his hand, and I heard his phone ringing. He ignored it, still pushing my head down and talking to me in a low, soothing voice.

After a few minutes, I sat back up and leaned against him. I was able to breathe again, but I was just about exhausted emotionally.

The phone rang again, and this time Ranger picked it up. "Yo!"

I pressed my head against his shoulder so that I could hear Cal. "Tom is on his way, but the chief would like to speak with you. Now."

Ranger's eyes narrowed. "I'll be right down."

He ended the call and stood up slowly, trying to move without disturbing me.

I jumped to my feet. "I'm going with you."

He looked at me, one eyebrow raised. "I don't think that's a good idea, Stephanie. Wait here, and I'll be back as soon as I can be."

I stuck my hands on my hips. "This whole mess is because of me. There's no way I'm letting you go down there alone. If I do, you'll probably end up being arrested for kidnapping or something."

He tipped his head to the side. "That's a definite possibility."

"Then let me come with you."

He shook his head. "I'm not stopping you, Babe, but Morelli is down there. I don't know what's going to happen when he sees you, but I guarantee it's not going to be good. And if he sees you with me, it's going to be even worse."

My forehead creased in confusion. "Why?"

Ranger shook his head. "Long story. I'll tell you another time. If you're coming with me, let's go."

I grabbed his hand and followed him to the apartment door, determined to be a big girl and face my own problems instead of hiding behind Ranger. But just before he opened the door, I had a rush of self-doubt. Could I really do this? Could I really confront Joe?

I tugged on Ranger's hand gently. He turned to look at me, a question on his face. "You won't leave me, right?" I asked nervously.

He lifted his free hand and placed it gently on my cheek. Leaning in close, he whispered. "No, Babe. I won't leave you." He pressed his lips to mine, giving me a gentle kiss. I kissed him back, hoping that he understood how much his reassurance meant to me.

Ranger pulled back and looked at me for a few seconds before nodding. I wasn't sure what he was looking for, but he must have seen it in my face. He reached over and opened the apartment door, leading me out to the elevator. I knew that it was my idea to tag along, but I suddenly had the feeling of a prisoner on death row being led to their execution. Every step brought me closer and closer to Joe, and I couldn't help muttering, "Dead man walking!" under my breath.

Once we entered the elevator, Carlos put his arm around my waist and pulled me into his side. "You don't have to do this, Babe. You can stay on the elevator and ride it right back up to 7. I'll give you my fob to get back into the apartment. Or you can stay with Bobby on 3."

I nodded and cleared my throat. "I think I _need_ to do this, though. For me."

He nodded his understanding, and we rode the rest of the way down in silence.

The elevator doors opened once we reached the lobby, and the mass confusion started almost immediately. I could see Tom standing in the lobby, watching Cal. Poor Cal was trying to be professional and handle all of the police who were screaming at him through the speaker. The chief was pounding on the front door, and Joe was right beside him. The sidewalk was covered in blue uniforms. There had to be at least a dozen officers out there, all staring in through the windows.

I watched them from inside the elevator for just a second before they noticed us. It was pretty clear once they saw us. The yelling and pounding increased dramatically, and a few of the officers unholstered their weapons. Joe had both palms on the window, staring at me with a pained expression on his face.

This wasn't a good idea. I should have stayed upstairs. I can't do this yet. My inner weakling was pleading loudly for me to turn tail and run. Anywhere. Upstairs with Bobby, my cubicle on 5, Ranger's penthouse. Just not here. My legs were feeling kind of wobbly, and I wasn't a hundred percent sure that I was going to be able to stand much longer.

I leaned heavily against Ranger, and he felt the tremors coursing through me. He guided me across the lobby to the reception desk, and Cal stood up, offering me his seat. I gave him a shaky smile in thanks and sat down. I purposely turned the chair away from the front of the lobby and looked at Tom.

"Do we have to let them in?" I asked in a shaky voice.

He nodded grimly. "Yeah, we should. At least the chief. If not, Ranger is likely to get slapped with some sort of obstruction charge. But it's definitely not necessary to let everyone in, and I think we can make a good argument for not letting Morelli in."

He looked up at Ranger. "How reasonable is the chief?"

Ranger lifted his shoulders in a barely there shrug. "In all of my dealings with him, he's been fine. I'm not sure what he'll do in a case like this, though. Where he's forced to side with or against one of his own officers."

Tom nodded. That remained to be seen. He walked over to the desk and pressed the speaker button. He introduced himself and explained that at first we were only willing to talk with the chief. We would work with the chief to determine whether any further officers would be permitted into the building. The chief nodded his agreement and Cal walked over to the door to ensure that he was the only one who entered.

Once Cal was in place, Ranger pressed a button on the desk, unlocking the front door. As Cal ushered the chief in, Joe tried to elbow his way in as well. Cal glared at him and growled something low in his throat that made Joe take a step back. That brief hesitation was all Cal needed, and he closed the door, relocking it right in Joe's face.

The chief strode across the room and gave me a hard look. "Ms. Plum, I am Chief Doyle. I would like to speak with you about the charges that were filed on your behalf this evening."

I looked over at Tom, unsure what to do. He gave me a small nod, so I turned back towards the chief. "OK." I whispered softly.

He looked up at Ranger. "Is there somewhere we can talk?"

Ranger nodded and pulled me up out of the chair, wrapping a protective arm around my waist. He led the way to the elevator, and we all rode up one floor before stepping off on 2. Ranger strode to a large conference room and gestured for the chief to go in ahead of us. He settled himself at the table while Tom opened his briefcase and pulled out my thick file of evidence. Ranger and I sat side by side, across from the chief.

Chief Doyle looked at me. "Ms. Plum," he began.

"Stephanie." I interrupted.

"Stephanie," he amended. "I would like to speak with you alone. Is that alright with you?"

I glanced up at Ranger nervously, and he gave his head a small shake. I looked back over at the chief. "I'd rather not do that. I don't mind speaking to you, but I want Tom and Ranger to be here also."

The chief gave a frustrated sigh but nodded in agreement. "Very well. Then I guess I will have to ask you some of these questions in front of Mr. Manoso."

I felt my stomach clench in fear. What kind of questions was he going to ask me? And why did it matter if Ranger was here or not?

"Stephanie, are you here against your will?"

I gave a small jump of surprise. "No! Why would you think that?"

"Because my dear, you disappeared 5 days ago. Without a trace. None of your belongings were missing from the house, not even your purse. We all assumed that you had been taken somewhere against your will. Or at the very least that you had left in such a hurry that you didn't have time to grab your things. But then you never made any contact with Joe or your family."

I shook my head and chewed on my lower lip. "No. I came here and asked Ranger for help."

The chief's eyes narrowed. "What kind of help?"

I licked my lips nervously. "Have you seen the charges and the evidence that Tom filed?"

The chief shook his head. "No. I left the office early today. Morelli called me about an hour ago to say that he had found you, and he needed backup. Then he called back to say that they needed me to come down because the building was secure and they couldn't get in."

I looked over at Tom. "Tom?" I asked weakly.

He nodded, understanding what I wanted him to do. He opened the file, pulling out the pictures and x-rays. He placed them on the table, in front of the chief, and began reading Bobby's documentation out loud to him. The chief sat silently, his eyes wide and staring as Tom continued. He never looked up, just sat staring motionlessly as picture after picture was flipped in front of him. When Tom finally came to the end of the evidence, he placed everything back in the file folder and left it in front of the chief.

The chief folded his hands on the table and bowed his head over them. It almost looked as if he were praying, but it was much more likely that he was trying to determine what to do next.

He finally looked up at me. "I must admit that this is not at all what I expected when I came here this evening."

I tipped my head to the side, curious. "What did you expect?"

He scrubbed his hands across his face. "Well, when Detective Morelli found out where you were, he implied that Ranger and his men had kidnapped you as a sort of revenge for what happened between the two of them a few years ago. He was worried that Ranger was hurting you in some way."

I looked at the chief. "I assure you that I am here of my own free will. And no one here has hurt me at all."

Chief Doyle cleared his throat nervously. "He, uh, also suggested that Mr. Manoso may have, um, forced himself on you while you were here."

I just stared at him in shock. "What?"

"He thought that Ranger may be using you to get back at him."

I clenched my fists in anger. "That's absolutely ridiculous!"

He cleared his throat and spoke again without meeting my eyes. "So the two of you have not, uh, slept together?"

I opened my mouth to say, "No!" But instead, my stupid brain overthought the question and responded with, "Not exactly."

The chief's head snapped up. "Not exactly?" he repeated.

My cheeks turned a bright red, and I let out a sigh. "We're not having sex, but Ranger has stayed with me at night a little bit to help me sleep. I've been having some pretty bad nightmares about Joe, and if Ranger stays with me it seems to help."

The chief nodded. "No sex?" he clarified.

"None." I insisted, trying to ignore the flush that was now creeping down my neck and up to the tips of my ears.

Chief Doyle opened the file folder back up and flipped until he found the page listing the assault charges that Tom had filed on my behalf. He looked at me over the top of the paper. "Stephanie, these are very serious charges that you have filed against Detective Morelli. If you insist on pursuing them, I will be forced to place him on paid administrative leave. He may even be dismissed from the police force. Do you understand that?"

I stared at him, my eyes wide, and swallowed hard. Before I could answer, Ranger leaned across the table.

"Are you trying to talk her out of filing these charges?" Ranger asked in a cold, threatening voice. If that voice were directed at me, I would have started crying. Chief Doyle didn't burst into tears, but he did pale noticeably.

He answered, stuttering. "N-n-n-n-n-oooo. Not at all. I just want Ms. Plum to carefully consider the outcome of her actions." He looked at me steadily. "These allegations are going to seriously impact Detective Morelli's reputation, both personally and professionally. If they are not true, now is the time to pull them, before any permanent damage is done."

The tone of his voice and the look on his face made me so angry that I started shaking. I balled my hands into fists, the nails digging into my hands. "Of course it's true!" I hissed. "Why on earth would I make something like that up?"

Chief Doyle glanced between Ranger and me. "The abuse has clearly occurred. There is certainly enough evidence to prove that. What I'm saying, Ms. Plum," he caught my eye and corrected himself, "Stephanie, is that I want you to be sure that you have named the correct person as the perpetrator of these acts."

When I got angry, I either yelled and screamed or I cried. I much preferred the yelling and screaming version of Angry Me to the crying version. When I cried I just felt weak. And I had cried too much in the past several months. But, sure enough, I could feel my throat start to constrict and the prick of tears behind my eyes. I swallowed hard and blinked my eyes, trying to hold off the uncontrollable sobbing that was working its way forward.

I glared at him. "You think someone else did this to me, and I'm blaming it on Joe?"

He shifted nervously in his seat. "According to Morelli, he suspects Mr. Manoso of abusing you while you were here."

I gasped and grabbed Ranger's hand. He squeezed it firmly and turned to address the chief.

"And how does he explain the bruises that were days old? What about the broken bones that happened months ago?"

The chief let out a deep sigh and shook his head. "I don't know."

Ranger leaned across the table, a malicious glint in his eyes. "I would never treat a woman that way, Chief Doyle. You need to put Morelli on administrative leave effective immediately. And know that my lawyer will be in court first thing tomorrow morning to request a restraining order. You may want to remind Detective Morelli what happens to cops in jail. It wouldn't be a good idea for him to break the restraining order."

The chief pulled out a handkerchief and mopped his sweaty brow, nodding. He stood up and took one last look at the two of us. "I'll talk to Morelli as soon as I leave here."

Ranger stood up and pinned him with a glare. "I'll expect a call from you as soon as you're done. I want an update on what's being done with Morelli."

Chief Doyle nodded and opened the door, jumping slightly when he saw Tank standing outside the door waiting for him.

Tank looked at Ranger over the chief's head. "Done?"

Ranger gave him a curt nod, and Tank looked down at Chief Doyle. "Follow me. I'll take you back down to the lobby." He ordered gruffly.

The two of them headed for the elevators, and I stood up. I was full of so much nervous energy and adrenaline that I didn't know what to do. I felt like a coiled spring, ready to pop. I wanted to hit something; I wanted to break something; I wanted to scream. Ranger turned around from the door and saw the look on my face and my body, practically vibrating with energy.

"Come on, Babe." He tugged my hand gently and led me to the elevator. We got off at 3, and I looked at him in confusion.

"Why are we going to see Bobby?"

"We're not. We're going to gym. You need to work out some of that anger and aggression you're feeling right now. It's as good a time as any to try out some self defense moves."

"I'd rather throw something!" I muttered.

Ranger grinned back at me. "You can try to throw me, Babe, but I don't think you'll be able to."

I narrowed my eyes at him. I wasn't pissed at Ranger, so it might seem kind of irrational to take my anger out on him. But I was pissed! And who in their right mind challenges a Jersey girl who is pissed? He might have a few inches and about 70 pounds of muscle on me, but he was going down!

Ranger's eyes twinkled as he took in my defiant stance. And I was pretty sure he had read my mind when he leaned in and whispered, "Bring it on, Babe!"

_**TBC**_


	13. Chapter 13

_A/N: Thanks to everyone who is reading and reviewing! I appreciate them more than you know! For those of you also reading "The Breakfast Club," I promise to update in the next few days! My brain kinda knows where it wants that story to go next, I'm just having a hard time getting it down on paper! Thanks for sticking with both stories! ;)_

**Bold section from chapter 12**

**I narrowed my eyes at him. I wasn't pissed at Ranger, so it might seem kind of irrational to take my anger out on him. But I was pissed! And who in their right mind challenges a Jersey girl who is pissed? He might have a few inches and about 70 pounds of muscle on me, but he was going down!**

**Ranger's eyes twinkled as he took in my defiant stance. And I was pretty sure he had read my mind when he leaned in and whispered, "Bring it on, Babe!"**

**Chapter 13**

I followed Ranger into the gym, eyes narrowed.

People operating under the effects of an adrenaline rush could do amazing things. They could lift cars off of people, go for extended periods of time without sleep, or move faster than they usually could. I wasn't sure that what I was experiencing was a true adrenaline rush. It might be more accurate just to say that I had a lot of rage that needed channeled. And that rage was either going to make me completely focused, or it was going to make me rush ahead without thinking.

I took a deep breath, determined to stay focused.

"Have you ever taken a self-defense class, Babe?" Ranger asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, in college. Why?"

"I just wondered how much you already knew."

He stepped up behind me and lightly wrapped his arms around my middle, pinning my arms at my sides. "Do you know how to get out of this hold?"

I did, but instead of answering Ranger out loud, I decided to show him. With a little more force than was probably necessary, I whipped my head back and hit his face. Moving my hips just slightly, I kicked my leg out and hit the back of his knee. The unexpected motion made his knees fold reflexively, and he dropped to the ground, landing on his ass. I launched myself at him, landing on his abs and pushing against his shoulders to pin him to the mat.

I jumped up and off of him, hopping up and down like a little kid. "You need to be more aware of your surroundings, Ranger!" I teased.

He quickly hopped back up to his feet, a broad grin spreading across his face. "That was good, Babe!" he praised, rubbing his slightly red nose.

I shook my head. "It only worked because you weren't expecting me to know what to do. I couldn't take you down if you were really trying to stop me."

He reached over and grabbed my shoulders. "When you're fighting against someone, you take advantage of everything you can. You took advantage of the fact that I underestimated you. That's exactly what you're supposed to do!"

I tipped my head and crinkled my nose. "Really?"

He gave me a small smile. "Really. If your attacker is bigger than you are, then you take advantage of your speed. If they are smaller than you, then you take advantage of your strength. Whatever advantage you have, you use it. Understand?"

I nodded.

"Ready to try again?"

I nodded. Ranger moved towards me quickly. He raised his arm just slightly, and I knew that he was going to try to grab me around the neck. Just seconds before he could move his arm, I ducked and took off sprinting across the gym. He looked at me in astonishment.

"Very good, Stephanie! How did you know what hold I was going for?"

I smiled and wagged my finger at him. "Nuh-uh, buddy! I only have so many advantages! I'm not ready to give up any of them just yet!"

He narrowed his eyes and moved towards me slowly. If I didn't trust him one hundred percent, I might have been a little scared at the predatory vibe he was throwing off.

My body was still humming with adrenaline/rage, and I was actually starting to enjoy working it off with Ranger. We danced around the mat; Ranger trying to get close enough to grab me, and me trying to stay far enough away that he couldn't catch me.

He reached out an arm to grab my wrist. I immediately sidestepped, but he was ready for my move. He had placed his other arm beside me and caught me around the middle. He easily lifted me off of my feet, and I began fighting back.

I kicked my legs as if I were riding a bike and rolled my shoulders in a figure eight motion. My jerky movements caught Ranger off guard and he lost his balance, causing both of us to fall to the mats. He turned us so that he took the full impact, bracing me against his chest.

Grinning, I straddled his abs. "You lose again, Ranger!" I teased, my eyes sparkling with mischief.

He grabbed me under the arms and flipped us, so that he was hovering on top of me. "You can beat me any day, Babe, but right now _you're_ the one who's been pinned. You yield?" He whispered huskily.

"No!" I grouched back. I put both of my palms on his chest and pushed, but he didn't move at all. I started squirming around, trying to wriggle myself out from underneath him.

I raised my hips up, and he sucked in a deep breath. His forehead dropped to mine. "Babe!" he growled.

I stilled, my eyes wide. "Yeah?" I squeaked.

He was still for a few seconds before he picked his forehead up off of mine.

"That's cheating." He groaned.

I bit my lip, and his eyes dropped to my mouth, watching me chew nervously on my lower lip. "You said to use whatever advantage I had." I whispered, teasing.

His mouth was just a breath away from mine, and without thinking about it, I lifted my neck and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. He responded and kissed me hungrily. I threaded my hands through his hair and pulled him to me.

We both broke away breathless, and he pulled back, giving me a small smile. Standing up, he reached out a hand and pulled me up.

"Your self defense moves are really good. It's almost as if you know instinctively what I'm going to do."

I frowned. "And you're wondering why I never fought back against Joe?" I questioned softly.

He gave me a steady assessing look. "That's not where I was going with that at all, Babe. I was just complimenting your abilities. I'm sure that you did everything you could where Joe was concerned. If you felt you could fight back, you did. If you didn't, I'm sure you had your reasons."

I nodded and looked down, amazed at how relieved I was. His acceptance meant a lot to me. Maybe even more than I realized.

He tipped my head up and gave me an assessing look. "Did you ever try to fight back against Joe?"

I bit my lip and nodded.

"What happened?" he asked softly.

I took in a shuddering breath. "He wasn't quite as gracious as you were about me fighting back."

His eyes hardened. "What did he do?"

I cleared my throat. "He was bigger and stronger than me. He used the advantages that he had. Just like you said."

Ranger's mouth tightened and he gave a stiff nod. I was glad when he didn't ask me to elaborate any further. He obviously knew that I didn't want to talk about it, and he was respecting my wishes.

He reached out and pulled me against his chest, wrapping his arms around me. He fisted one hand in my hair and leaned down to whisper in my ear. "You're safe now, Babe. No one will hurt you anymore."

I nodded against his chest and took a deep breath to calm myself. I took a step back and looked up at him. "Thanks for helping me work through everything, Ranger. I feel a lot better now."

He raised an eyebrow at me. "You sure you're OK?" He gave me a small smile. "I'd be glad to let you tackle me to the ground again, Babe."

I smiled and gave him a light smack on the arm. "I'm good, thanks."

He nodded and started to stay something back, but his phone cut him off. He reached down and pulled it off of his belt, checking the read out.

"Yo!" he barked.

He glanced over at me. "She's on the line now?"

"Have her hold. I'll take Steph to my office." He ended the call. "Babe, your friend Mary Lou is holding on the phone for you. She says it's urgent that she talk to you."

I looked at him wide eyed and nodded. Mary Lou would never call me here unless it was urgent, I knew that.

I followed him out the door and up to his office on 5. He picked up his desk phone and hit the blinking light on the display panel, giving me the handset.

I reached out a shaky hand and grabbed for the phone. I wasn't sure what Mare wanted, and I was afraid that she was calling with some kind of bad news.

"Mare?" I choked out.

"Stephanie! Oh, thank God! I heard you were at RangeMan, but I didn't know whether to believe it or not! You never said where you were when you called, and I just didn't know…" she blurted out. Her voice was scratchy, and I could tell that she had been crying.

"Mare, what is it? What's wrong?"

"There are all sorts of rumors flying around the Burg. Joe keeps telling everyone that the owner of RangeMan kidnapped you to get back at him. Evidently the two of them have some kind of history." I glanced over at Ranger. Hmmm. That was interesting. He had said that he'd _met_ Joe, but he'd never elaborated further than that. I wondered what kind of history they had?

Mary Lou continued. "I just wanted to be sure that you were safe. I know you didn't want me to say anything, but I figured if Joe knew where you were, it would be OK if I called. It is OK that I called, right? I'm not giving away your location or anything, am I?" She asked worriedly.

"No, no, it's fine." I reassured her. "I filed the charges against Joe tonight. Well, actually, the RangeMan attorney filed them, but they're filed nonetheless. Joe and the chief have already been here tonight. All of the cops saw me in the lobby, so it's no secret anymore where I am."

I heard Mary Lou let out a deep breath. "Thank God!" she whispered.

"Not that I don't love hearing from you, but what made you call? Just to let me know that Joe knew where I was?"

"Well…" Mary Lou hesitated. "Joe. And your mom."

I took in a shaky breath. "Yeah. She's already called here twice."

"I know. When they wouldn't put her through to you, she called me. She wanted me to call and see if they would let you talk to me. She's convinced that you're being held there against your will."

"What?" I screeched. "Why?"

"Well, probably because that's how Joe made it sound. But you not answering her phone calls confirmed it. As far as she's concerned, they're not letting you talk to anyone outside the building."

"That's just ridiculous!" I snapped.

"I know, hon. I know. I'm just telling you what she said. And…"

"And?" I prompted.

"And I think she's on her way over to talk to you soon."

"Are you kidding me? Why?"

"I think she wants to make sure you're OK." Mary Lou said softly.

I let out a disgusted grunt. "Yeah right. Since when has my mother ever been concerned about my happiness and well being?"

"Steph, she's your mother. Of course she's concerned about you. She may not always do or say the right thing, but she still loves you."

"Like the times that she tried to convince me to stay with Joe? Marry him even after she knew about the abuse? That's not looking out for my best interest."

Mary Lou sighed. "I know, honey. Really, I do. And you know that I support you one hundred percent, always. No one has more reason to be wary of their mother than you, that's for sure. But I'm a mom, too. I screw up everyday. I say dumb things. I do dumb things. I hurt my kids' feelings. But at the end of the day, I just want what's best for them. And it would kill me if one of them disappeared for a week without a trace. Not knowing if they were dead or alive. If they were hurt. Hungry. Cold. Lost. I would die, Stephanie. Your mother has been through hell this past week. Just talk to her. Hear her out. I really think you'll be surprised."

I sniffed back a sob and nodded even though I knew Mary Lou couldn't see me. Clearing my throat, I finally croaked out, "K."

She let out a relieved breath. "I'll call your mom and tell her that you'll talk to her, OK?"

Ranger's cell phone buzzed, and I looked over at him. He flipped the phone around so that I could read the message. _Stephanie's mother is in the lobby. What do you want me to do?_

"Steph?" Mare questioned when I didn't answer her.

I let out a deep breath. "No need to call her Mare. She's here."

"Really?" she gasped.

"Really." I replied flatly.

Mary Lou cleared her throat. "Alright. I'll let you go then. Call me and let me know how things went."

"I will." I promised before hanging up.

"Babe?" Ranger questioned.

I looked up, unsure what he wanted.

"What would you like to do about your mom? Do you want to talk to her?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Do you think one of the guys could take her to a conference room for right now, though?"

He raised an eyebrow, but didn't question my request. He just pressed a few buttons on his phone and ordered someone to take her to a conference room on 2.

"What would you like to do before you talk to her, Babe?"

"I want to call Eddie. He's married to my cousin, and my mom has always liked and respected him. I want him to help me explain things to my mom. And I'd like to get a copy of the pictures to show my mom. I want her to see exactly what happened."

Ranger nodded. "We can do that, Babe. Do you want to call Eddie? Or do you want me to call him?"

"If you'll call Bobby and get the records, I'll call Eddie. Is that OK?"

"Of course." He gestured to his desk phone. "You use that phone, and I'll call Bobby on my cell."

I nodded and picked up the phone. Ranger was talking quietly to Bobby while I waited for Eddie to pick up.

"Gazarra!" He answered gruffly, obviously not recognizing this number.

"Eddie? It's me, Steph."

"Steph! What is it? What's wrong?" He asked anxiously.

"Nothing, nothing!" I rushed to reassure him. "I was just hoping that you could do me a favor."

"Of course! Name it!" He replied without even asking what it was. I knew that he was still feeling guilty. If I were a horrible person, I could make Eddie do just about anything right now.

"Could you come to RangeMan? My mom is here, and I'd like you to help me explain everything to her."

There was silence on the other end of the line for a few minutes. "Your mom is there?" Eddie asked in disbelief.

"Yeah." I sighed. "You know that my mom has always thought the world of you. I thought that maybe if you were on my side…" I trailed off.

"That maybe she would believe you, too?" he asked softly.

"Yeah." I admitted. "I know it's kinda childish, but I thought maybe that would work."

"It's not childish, Steph. You want her to believe you. Of course I'll come over. I'm leaving right now, OK? I'll be there in ten minutes."

"Thanks, Eddie." I whispered.

"Anytime." He answered before hanging up.

I put the handset back in the cradle and looked up. Ranger had finished his call with Bobby, and he raised an eyebrow at me. "Eddie coming?"

I nodded. "Ten minutes. Bobby have the pictures?"

He nodded. "He's gathering everything and bringing it up now."

**R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S**

Fifteen minutes later, Bobby, Ranger, Eddie, and I made our way down to the second floor. Ranger opened a conference room door and ushered us through. My mother was perched on the edge of one of the seats, her hands clasped nervously in front of her on the table. Her face was pale, and her eyes were wide as she watched us all walk into the room.

When she saw me, she gasped and jumped up out of her seat. She came over to me and grabbed my hands, her eyes never leaving my face. She reached a shaky hand up and brushed a curl behind my ear.

"You're alive! They said you were alive! Thank God!" she whispered, squeezing my hands.

She started walking towards the door, pulling me along behind her. "Let's go, Stephanie."

I looked at her in surprise and dropped my hands from her grasp. "What?"

She wrinkled her brow. "Let's go! Aren't you ready to go home?"

I stared at her. "This _is_ my home for now, mom. I'm living and working here."

She sucked in a deep breath. "What?"

Eddie placed a gentle hand on her arm and guided her back over to the table. "Mrs. Plum, there's a lot going on here that you don't know about. We'd like to tell you why Stephanie is here. Will you let us do that?"

My mother nodded woodenly, still in shock about me living and working in the RangeMan building. Her eyes moved around the room, but I was sure that she wasn't really seeing anything.

I sat down across from my mother with Ranger on one side of me and Eddie on the other. Bobby sat across from us, next to my mom, with the file of pictures.

We sat silently for a few minutes. I think everyone was waiting for me to begin, and I had no idea how to start.

Finally my mother broke the silence. "Stephanie, what is going on?" she demanded.

I looked at Eddie as I tried to decide what to say, and Eddie must have seen it as a plea for help because he spoke up and answered for me.

"Mrs. Plum, are you aware that Stephanie was in an abusive relationship with Joe?"

My mother sucked in a big breath of air. "Joe wasn't abusing her!"

I stared at her in disbelief. How could she say that? I had told her about his behavior. Granted she didn't know all of it, and she didn't know the worst of it, but she knew some of it!

Eddie stared her down. He was in cop mode, and he was interrogating my mother. "Did Joe ever hit Stephanie?"

My mother hesitated. "Maybe. I think so."

"And do you think it's OK for a man to hit a woman?"

My mother pressed her hands against her mouth. "I don't know." She whispered.

"Would you want Frank to come home and smack you around if you made pot roast when he was in the mood for lasagna?"

My mother's eyes filled with tears, and she shook her head no.

"Would you want him to break your leg because the dishes didn't get done?"

She just sat and stared at Eddie in shock.

He continued. "When Stephanie turned up missing, do you know what I thought had happened to her?"

My mother shook her head silently, her eyes wide.

"I thought that Joe had gone too far and killed her."

My mother let out a sound somewhere between a gasp and a sob. "No!" She whispered. "He wouldn't do that! He wouldn't hurt her like that!" But her voice wobbled towards the end, and she sounded less sure of herself.

Eddie nodded sadly. "You know what kind of man his father was, Helen. He was a drunken, abusive womanizer. Joe tried hard to overcome that, he really did. But the stress of being a detective just got to be too much. He started drinking to help him relax, unwind, forget. And he's a mean drunk. Several times the guys at the station had to take him home because he was too drunk to drive. What we didn't think about is that we were taking him home to Steph. He would get kicked out of a bar for getting in a fight where it took two of us to pull him off of a guy, but we thought it would be OK to take him home." He shook his head at their stupidity.

"He would hurt her, Helen. I saw a few bruises over the past year, but I tried to reason them away. I wanted so badly to believe the excuses Joe gave me. But then I started noticing that I was seeing less and less of Steph. She wouldn't leave the house as much anymore. She wasn't as social. Even when I would see her out, she wasn't the same happy, friendly Stephanie that I've known all my life. He was taking that sweet, innocent part of her away. When she disappeared, I came here. I was hoping that Ranger and his men could help me find her, help me to figure out if Joe was somehow at fault for her disappearance. But instead I found Steph."

His eyes teared up. "You have to see the pictures, Helen. You have to see what he did to her. That's the only way you're going to understand."

Bobby opened the file folder and sat the pictures in front of my mother one at a time. As he did, he read the documentation from his folder. What I had told him about the bruise, how I got it, what Joe had done to me, why he had done it. My mom just sat silently, tears rolling unchecked down her cheeks.

After going through most of the pictures, Bobby placed the x-ray of my leg in front of her. He explained that Joe hadn't wanted me to go to the ER to get my leg set so the bone had healed incorrectly. When he explained the surgery that I was expected to undergo in a few days, my mother looked like she was going to be ill.

She pushed her chair back from the table and closed her eyes. Waving her hands in front of her face, she choked out, "No more! No more!"

"But that's just it, mom." I whispered softly. "There _is_ more. There are still more pictures in that folder. Plus x-rays of the ribs that Joe broke. Those didn't heal correctly either. And these are only the bruises that were still visible when I came here a week ago. There are many, many more that have faded over the past six or eight months."

My mom walked around the table and stood next to my chair. She reached down to tug on my arms, and I stood up. She grabbed me in a fierce hug and started crying hard. In between sobs, she managed to choke out, "So sorry, sweetie! So sorry!"

My family had never been overly emotional with one another, and we were definitely not physically affectionate with one another. My mother typically showed her love for me by baking me desserts. This unexpected move on her part had me completely undone, and any reserve of strength that I had left was gone at that point. I broke down, too, and we sobbed like a couple of babies in each other's arms.

Finally getting ourselves back under control, we pulled apart, sniffling and wiping our eyes. Ranger handed us both tissues, and I gave him a watery smile.

My mom wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. "I had no idea it was so bad, Stephanie." She rasped. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you didn't believe me!" I whispered. "I tried to tell you, and you made me feel like it was all my fault!"

My mother's face twisted in pain. "I'm sorry for that." She apologized, looking down at the floor. She blinked fast. "I thought the two of you were just having little spats at first. I thought if you addressed whatever was making him upset, the problem would go away. Then when you said he had hit you, I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to believe that it was true, so I guess I ignored it."

"But you believe me now, right? You see what he did to me? You see why I had to leave? Why I'm not going back?"

She nodded. "Yes."

Ranger stepped next to me and put his arm around my shoulder. "Stephanie only needs people in her life right now who are willing to support her. Are you willing to do that for her?"

My mother nodded. "Of course! Anything she needs." She looked up at me. "Would you like to move back in with your father and me for a little while? Until you decide what you want to do?"

My mind was screaming _God no!_ But I couldn't think of a tactful way to say that to my mother without hurting her feelings. Evidently Ranger could read my thoughts, because he answered her with a small smile. "Stephanie is working here for right now, and we have employee housing on site. I'm sure that if she decided to move out, she would let you know."

My mother looked back and forth between Ranger and me, but she wisely decided not to comment on the arm around my shoulders. Instead, she smoothed the front of her pants. "I should probably get going. It's late, and I don't want your father to worry. He was at the lodge when I heard that you were here. You weren't taking my calls, so I came down to see if you really were here, and if you were OK." She looked up at me hesitantly. "You are OK, right?"

I nodded and leaned against Ranger. "Yeah, mom, I'm OK." I answered softly.

She reached over and patted my shoulder. "Would you like me to send over some pineapple upside down cake with your father? He's driving the cab tomorrow afternoon."

Ah! There was the mother I was used to! I gave her a small smile. "That would be great, mom. Thanks."

She nodded and turned towards the door.

"I'll show you down to the lobby." Bobby offered, opening the door for her. Eddie gave me a quick peck on the cheek and followed them out.

Once they were all gone, I felt every last ounce of energy evaporate from my body. I was suddenly exhausted and wanted nothing more than to collapse into Ranger's heavenly sheets.

"Let's go to bed." I said wearily.

Ranger gave me a crooked grin. "Sounds good to me, Babe."

_**TBC**_


	14. Chapter 14

_I am so, so sorry that it has taken me this long to update! The last few weeks of school are always a whirlwind! Report cards, closing out my room, etc. Then we left for a crazy week and a half of Girl Scout events- the Hershey Park Camporee, Philadelphia, then the 100th Anniversary singalong in DC- Girl Scouts Rock the Mall. And for 5 out of 8 days I was in a tent. Gasp! With no internet! Double gasp! But I am home and off for the summer, so hopefully updates will be more frequent! _

_Thanks to GabbyDunk, stephfan6511, jenio1, Karren, and Angela3511 for checking to make sure that I was still alive and planning on updating! LOL! This chapter is for you, Babes! ;)_

**Chapter 14**

I startled awake, my heart pounding quickly in my chest. Looking around in the dark, I didn't immediately recognize where I was. I pulled the covers tighter around me and tried to determine what had woken me. I heard low voices coming from somewhere close, and I slipped out of bed.

I blinked and looked around again. I was in Ranger's apartment. I felt my pulse start to slow just slightly. I wasn't in any danger here. Was I?

I grabbed the large hooded sweatshirt off of Ranger's chair, pulled it on over my T-shirt and boxer shorts, and padded towards the bedroom door. The apartment was still dark. It must be the middle of the night or very early morning. A quick look at the clock confirmed that it was just after 3 am. What was Ranger doing up this early? And who was up here with him?

I slowly crept out into the hall. I would definitely be intruding on Ranger's conversation, and I wasn't sure if he would welcome that intrusion or not.

The voices seemed to be coming from the living room, so I turned and headed in that direction. I could just start to make out some snatches of the conversation.

"…not a good time."

"But Julio said…"

"right now… and I don't want to…"

"They can't do the takedown if you're not there."

"They can if… One of you can go…"

"… not policy, man. What… just stay here…"

I crept closer to the living room door and paused, wondering if I should announce myself or not. Before I could make up my mind, Ranger turned and saw me standing in the doorway.

He furrowed his brow and walked across the room. "What are you doing up, Babe? Did you have another nightmare?"

I shook my head. "I don't think so."

He tipped his head slightly. "You don't think so?"

"Well, I'm not really sure what woke me. But I heard voices when I woke up, and I decided to follow them." I gave him a guilty smile. "Call me curious."

He turned me and led me back towards the bedroom. "Bobby just needed to let me know about a situation in Miami."

"And it couldn't wait until morning?" I asked incredulously.

Ranger gave me a rueful grin. "They want me to hop a plane to Miami. Now."

I felt my heart sink in my chest. "Right now?" I asked softly.

He nodded.

"How long will you be gone?" I was glad that my voice sounded stronger than I felt.

He rubbed a hand across his face as he guided me through the door and sat me down on the bed. "At least a few days. A take down went bad tonight. A couple of the guys are in pretty rough shape, and there's a lot of paperwork that needs to be taken care of. On top of that, they didn't get the skip. So we still need to figure out a plan to find him and bring him in."

I swallowed hard and nodded. "Can I help you pack or anything?"

Ranger knelt down in front of me and studied my face. "Are you gonna be OK if I leave for a little while?"

My throat felt like it was closing in, and I didn't trust my voice to speak, so I gave him a big fake smile and nodded.

He didn't look convinced, and he let out a big sigh. "I'm sorry, Babe. This is why I don't do relationships. My life just doesn't lend itself to them. I have to leave for Boston, New York, Miami, Atlanta all at the drop of a hat. Sometimes my clients want a personal bodyguard, and I end up on a plane to DC or Europe within the hour."

I blinked quickly. What was he saying?

He must have seen the confused look on my face, because he grabbed my hands and started talking. "It's not that I don't care about you, Stephanie, I do. But this is my life. I'm very rarely in one place for very long. I end up moving around a lot, taking care of things at the different branches."

Without thinking, I blurted out "So take me with you."

Once I had said it, I wanted to die. I wished there was a way to curl up into a little ball and hide. I couldn't believe how arrogant I sounded. Like I really expected him to pack me up and take me with him everywhere he went.

He eyed me curiously. "You'd be willing to hop a plane to Miami? Right now? Tonight?"

I bit my lip and nodded slowly. "If that's where you're going."

"Why?" He asked softly.

"Well, before all of this mess with Joe, I used to be an adventurous person." I gave him a sad smile. "My college roommate and I always took road trips. Sometimes we just left for the weekend with a change of clothes and no destination in mind. It was fun." I looked down at the floor. "Besides, I sleep better when I'm next to you."

I looked up to see him searching my face. He must have found whatever he was looking for, because the next thing I knew, he pulled me down onto his lap. His lips pressed against mine insistently. I moaned and fisted my hands in his shirt, pulling him closer to me. His hands shifted me so that I was now straddling his lap.

His mouth moved across my jaw and down my neck, nipping and kissing. He got to my shoulder and stopped, panting slightly. He leaned his forehead against my shoulder.

"We need to get up and get packed right now, or we aren't going anywhere for a very long time." He managed.

I looked at him with wide eyes, and he lifted his hips just slightly, grinding a _very large, very hard_ member of his anatomy against my center. I sucked in a deep breath and nodded, scrambling quickly to my feet.

He strode into his closet and returned with two large black duffel bags. Tossing them on the bed, he turned to me. "Just pack the basics, Babe. If you forget anything, we can pick it up when we get there."

I nodded and ran into the closet. I grabbed several pairs of jeans, some tops, and undies out of my laundry basket and began stuffing them into the duffel bag. I gathered my RangeMan uniform- cargos, T-shirt, and windbreaker, and headed into the bathroom to quickly rinse off in the shower and wet my hair. Jumping back out, I dressed in my uniform and threw my makeup into my duffel bag.

I combed through my hair and French braided it, squeezing the excess water out of the end of the ponytail. After I brushed my teeth, I added the toothpaste and brush to my duffel bag. Quickly surveying the counter, I was satisfied that I had grabbed everything I needed.

I walked out into the bedroom, and Ranger gave me an amused look.

"What?" I asked defensively.

He raised his hands, palms out. "Nothing, Babe. I'm impressed. That was pretty quick."

He walked over and grabbed my duffel bag. "Ready?"

I nodded and followed Ranger out of the apartment and down to the garage. He pulled out a set of keys and the lights flashed on a Porsche 911 Turbo.

My eyes widened. _You've got to be kidding me! Is this man a god or what? Gorgeous office, gorgeous apartment, gorgeous body, gorgeous car!_

Ranger barked out a laugh, and I looked over at him, my heart sinking slowly to my shoes. "Out loud?" I asked, wondering if I could run back up to the apartment before he could catch me.

His eyes twinkled. "Yeah, Babe. Out loud." He wrapped an arm around my shoulder. "Your body's pretty gorgeous, too, you know." He whispered.

My cheeks turned a bright red, and he chuckled, leading me towards the world's most perfect car.

He opened the passenger door, and I slid in. I closed my eyes, and I'm pretty sure I moaned when I inhaled the smell of leather and Ranger's shower gel that filled the interior of the car.

Ranger tossed our bags in the trunk and then climbed in next to me. "Ready for our road trip, Babe?"

I looked at him in surprise. "I thought we were flying to Miami!"

He gave me a grin. "We are. Just a figure of speech."

I nodded. "Sure. Let's go!"

He started the car, and I closed my eyes, moaning at the purr of the engine and the vibration of the car.

Ranger pulled out of the parking garage and looked over at me, eyes dark. "Babe if you keep moaning that like, we're going to have to pull over before we get to the airport."

I swallowed hard and tried my best to sit quietly, but his words had caused a slow burn to begin in my lower belly. I hadn't had a guy be truly affectionate with me for a long time. Joe and my ex-husband Dickie _could be_ affectionate, if it suited their plans. But for the most part, they viewed romance with disinterest. Everything they did was foreplay, a hoop they were willing to jump through just to get sex. But Ranger was different, and all of his whispered words and soft kisses were really doing a number on me. The sexual tension between us right now was practically electric, and I was half convinced that there would be sparks if I reached out and touched him.

We rode silently for a while, and I zoned out, lost in my own thoughts. When I finally started paying attention to my surroundings again, I was surprised that we weren't anywhere near Newark International.

I sat up quickly and looked around. "Where are we?" I asked.

"Just outside of the city." Ranger answered.

My forehead creased. "But Newark is the other direction."

"We're not going to Newark. We're going to a private airstrip."

"We are?"

Ranger gave a slight nod.

He didn't volunteer any further information, so I sat back quietly and watched out the window as we sped further away from the city. After a short distance, I saw flashing lights up ahead. They were lined up in a row headed towards what I assumed was the airport.

"Ranger?" I asked.

He glanced over at me and raised an eyebrow. I was assuming that meant 'Yeah?'

"What are all of those towers with lights for?"

"They're approach towers to help guide small aircraft in towards the runway."

"Oh." I paused. "Does that mean we're going in a small plane?"

He nodded.

"A _very_ small plane?" I asked nervously.

He glanced over at me and grabbed my hand reassuringly. "Not _too_ small, Babe."

I nodded and leaned back in my seat, but I wasn't very relieved. I wouldn't be relieved until I saw the plane we were using. It had better not be one of those little puddle jumper things, or I was outta here!

Ranger reached into the glove box and pulled out a remote control. It looked like a garage remote, and sure enough, he pointed it at one of the large hangar doors in front of us. The door opened, and we drove in.

Ranger parked next to a medium sized private jet. It didn't look _too_ small. I was hoping this was what we were taking to Florida.

Ranger climbed out of the car and walked around to my side. I opened the door and slid out next to him. He shouldered our bags and tossed them up into the open door of the plane. Grabbing my hand, he pulled me towards the front of the plane where a gorgeous man with a clipboard was checking off various things.

"Stephanie, this is Jet, the RangeMan pilot. Jet, Stephanie Plum."

I gave him a big smile. "Appropriate nickname for a pilot." I teased.

He grinned back. "That's how I got it. I logged tons of flight hours in the service."

"Air Force?" I asked.

He nodded.

"So you're our pilot this morning?"

He nodded again and grinned. "You're not nervous, are you?"

I smiled back. "Nope." I lied. Well, partially lied. I had only flown once in my entire life. When Dickie and I went to the Bahamas for our honeymoon.

But I did have to admit that this plane looked pretty reliable. At least it didn't have propellers! And Jet seemed responsible. I'd probably be OK, right?

Ranger tugged on my hand, leading me back towards the door to the plane. We climbed up the steps and into the cabin.

_Here goes nothing!_ I thought with a deep breath.

**TBC**

**So what do you think should happen while they're in Miami? Review and let me know! (I promise it won't take a month to find out! LOL!)**


	15. Chapter 15

_A/N: Thanks for hanging in there! I really thought that once school was out and I was home all summer, I would write MORE! As it is, I am writing way LESS. It seems like there is always something to do, somewhere to go, etc. At school I used my planning periods to write. I think I need to schedule "writing time" for myself every day now that I'm home!_

_I've tried to respond to reviews, but fanfic is going a little crazy. Every time I switch screens, it makes me log in again. So if you didn't get a response, I'm very sorry! :( The logging in over and over and over again drove me a little crazy and some may not have gotten responses. _

**Bold section from chapter 14**

**Ranger tugged on my hand, leading me back towards the door to the plane. We climbed up the steps and into the cabin. **

**_Here goes nothing!_ I thought with a deep breath.**

Chapter 15

I got myself buckled in as Ranger stowed our bags in a large closet. He strode over and sat next to me, gracing me with a very small grin.

"You look scared to death, Babe! Haven't you flown before?"

I swallowed and nodded. "Once. Well, twice. To the Bahamas and back."

He quirked his eyebrow at me. "Bad experience?"

I took a deep breath and nodded again. "We landed in the middle of a thunderstorm. There was lightning all around the plane, and the interior lights went out. The emergency lights came on, and everyone was screaming. The pilot came over the intercom and tried to convince us we were OK, but I was sure I was going to die!"

"But you didn't."

"No, I didn't." I agreed weakly. Clearing my throat, I asked, "What's the weather supposed to be like in Miami when we land?"

His lips twitched. I could tell that he was trying to be serious and not laugh at my panic. "Clear skies, Babe. No thunderstorms."

I let out a relieved breath. "Good to hear."

Just then the engines grew a little louder and the pitch changed just slightly. Jet came over the intercom to tell us that he was done with the preflight check, and we were ready for takeoff.

I sucked in a deep breath as we pulled out of the hangar and headed for the runway.

Ranger leaned next to me. "Breathe, Stephanie." He whispered in my ear. His breath tickled my neck and made a few loose strands of hair brush against my ear.

I shivered slightly and exhaled a shaky breath.

"You'll be fine. Jet is an excellent pilot." He soothed, taking my hands in his.

I nodded and closed my eyes. "I'll be fine. Jet is an excellent pilot." I repeated mechanically.

"We're not going to crash."

"We're not going to crash."

"We're not going to land in the middle of a thunderstorm."

"We're not going to land in the middle of a thunderstorm."

"And if we hit turbulence, you can sit on my lap."

"And if we hit turbulence… hey! What did you say?" I snapped my head up and looked straight at Ranger. His eyes were laughing even though the rest of his face was fighting to look serious.

I glared at him and crossed my arms over my chest. "You're not funny, mister!" I huffed.

The plane turned slowly and stopped for just a few seconds before hurtling down the runway at what felt like 1,000 mph. All of the anger I had felt two seconds before immediately melted as I grabbed Ranger's hands with both of mine.

"Deep breaths, Babe." He whispered soothingly as we rocketed up into the air.

I squeezed my eyes shut, my heart beating crazily in my chest. I tried to remember to inhale and exhale, but I mostly ended up holding my breath. Finally the plane leveled out, and I relaxed and collapsed back in my seat, panting. Hey, being stressed out is hard work!

Ranger rubbed my shoulder gently. "Feel better?" he asked, concerned.

I just nodded, relieved that we were at cruising altitude and still alive.

The rest of the flight went by pretty uneventfully. Ranger worked on his laptop most of the way down, and I reclined my seat until it was completely horizontal, dozing in and out of sleep. A little before 7:00 am, Jet came over the intercom again.

"We're making our final approach into Miami. We'll be landing shortly."

In a half awake, half asleep fog, I sat my seat back up. Ranger closed out of his laptop and stowed it in the travel bag under his seat. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

"You OK?"

I nodded. "I think so."

A shiver worked its way down my spine as I felt the plane begin to descend. I stared out the window, half expecting to see lightning. Thankfully, there wasn't any.

I braced for a hard impact, but Jet was truly one of the best. We touched down so softly that I barely felt it, and before long we were headed for another hangar.

Once we stopped, Ranger opened the door and nodded at two men. They were wearing all black and standing next to a black SUV. I was guessing that they were Miami RangeMen.

He climbed down a few steps, then turned around to motion for me to follow him. I peeked my head out, making brief eye contact with the two men in black. They both raised their eyebrows in surprise when they saw me coming down the stairs, but by the time we reached the ground, their faces were back to the blank masks I was so used to seeing on the men at RangeMan Trenton.

Ranger greeted them with a complicated handshake then turned and motioned for me to move next to him. Wrapping an arm around my shoulders, he gestured to the guys.

"Rico and Tex, meet Stephanie Plum, one of RangeMan Trenton's newest hires. Stephanie, Rico and Tex."

Their eyes widened just slightly when Ranger introduced me, but they stepped forward and shook my hand, mumbling greetings.

Rico grabbed our bags and headed for the SUV. Tex held up the keys and looked at Ranger questioningly. "Boss?"

Ranger shook his head only infinitesimally, but Tex caught it. He headed towards the driver's seat without any further discussion.

Ranger opened the back door and ushered me in before climbing in after me.

I raised my eyebrows at him and teased, "You don't feel like driving, Batman?"

He raised an eyebrow back. "I'm running on about 3 hours sleep with no rest in the near future. It's best if Tex drives." He slid an arm around my waist, pulling me across the bench seat towards him.

"Besides," he whispered. "Then _he'd_ get to be the one to sit back here with you instead of me."

I shivered involuntarily, and Ranger smirked at my response. Men!

His phone buzzed and then buzzed again about three more times. Geesh! Whoever wanted to get a hold of him needed to settle down already! Ranger had just started scrolling through his messages when the phone rang.

Tapping the screen, he answered with an annoyed. "Yo!"

He glanced over at me, his jaw set. "I wasn't aware that I needed your permission, Brown."

"So push the appointment back!"

"We're here for a couple of days. Deal with it!"

The muscle in his jaw began to throb. "I'll let you know."

Ranger ended the call and rubbed his hand across his face as Tex pulled out of the airport and into early morning Miami traffic.

"You OK?" I asked quietly, trying to be supportive without being too nosy.

He exhaled heavily. "Yeah. Bobby's pissed because I brought you to Miami. He didn't know you were coming, so he called his doctor friend first thing this morning. You had an appointment for this afternoon at 2:00. When he couldn't get a hold of you to tell you, he asked Les and Tank where you were."

Ahh… This was beginning to make more sense now. "And they told him I was in Miami with you?"

He nodded.

"Will he be able to reschedule for sometime next week?" I asked nervously. I was hoping that the doctor wouldn't be so pissed at me standing him up that he refused to see me.

"I'm sure he can, Babe."

I nodded, only mildly reassured.

We were inching through heavy traffic when Ranger's phone rang again. Glancing at the display, he answered with his standard, "Yo!"

After listening for a few seconds, Ranger slumped back in his seat and pinched the bridge of his nose. "That's going to be difficult, Tom."

"Because Stephanie is in Miami."

Although I couldn't make out the words, I could tell that the person on the other side of the line was having a _very strong_ reaction to the fact that I was not in Trenton. Tom, Tom, Tom… Shit! Tom, the RangeMan attorney? Why would he care if I left New Jersey? It must have something to do with the case, right?

Ranger's tone changed ever so slightly. Now it had a hard edge to it. "We can have someone down here take the deposition and send it to you, or you can wait til we get back. Your choice."

"I'll talk to Greg about it when I get to the office." With that, Ranger turned his phone off and shoved it in his laptop bag, a scowl on his face.

"I didn't realize that my leaving New Jersey would cause such a big stir." I teased, trying to lighten the mood slightly.

Ranger raised an eyebrow at me. "You want a big stir? Wait until we, or more specifically you, hit the office."

My eyes flicked to his in surprise. "What do you mean?"

He just closed his eyes and shook his head. "You'll see."

_**TBC**_

_So what should happen when Steph hits RangeMan Miami?_


	16. Chapter 16

_A/N: I apologize profusely for taking such a long break from both stories. I assure you that it was not intentional. I WILL finish them, even if it takes a little while in between. I won't bother you with the 89,000 things that have been happening in my life. I know we're all busy and that life is crazy for you guys, too! Let's just say that in my house, real life has been more action packed than fanfiction lately! ;) If you want the gory details, feel free to message me. Otherwise, on with the show! _

_Thanks to stephfan6511 for the encouragement and for reading through this before I posted it! I appreciate the feedback! _

**Previously:**

**"I didn't realize that my leaving New Jersey would cause such a big stir." I teased, trying to lighten the mood slightly.**

**Ranger raised an eyebrow at me. "You want a big stir? Wait until we, or more specifically you, hit the office."**

**My eyes flicked to his in surprise. "What do you mean?"**

**He just closed his eyes and shook his head. "You'll see."**

_  
>We arrived at RangeMan Miami just minutes before their 8am Morning Meeting. Throngs of huge, muscular, black-clad men were roaming the hallway outside of the conference room. Some were wolfing down fruit or muffins; others were grabbing coffee or juice from the nearby break room. The atmosphere seemed relaxed and mostly friendly despite the takedown that had gone horribly wrong the night before.<p>

I could tell when the guys noticed Ranger. A hush slowly settled over the group as one by one they turned around to discover the disruption. Most nodded stiffly or mumbled polite hellos before turning and quickly walking towards the conference room.

I was trying hard not to be nervous. In fact, I had a steady mantra of positive thoughts running through my head. Things like- _The guys in Trenton have been wonderful. You have no reason to believe that Miami will be any different. Give them a chance. Get to know them. Let them get to know you. Maybe you can offer to do some computer work here, too._

In spite of my forced optimistic thinking and plastered-on smile, I was still a nervous wreck. I was clinging to Ranger's left hand with both of mine as if he were a life preserver and I was in the middle of the ocean. He didn't say a word about it. He simply maneuvered us through the crowd of employees, towards the open conference room door.

We were just about to walk in when I heard someone call out, "Steffie?"

I turned and saw a tall muscular guy weaving his way through the hall towards us. His wavy dark hair was a little shorter, and there were a few more lines around his eyes, but I recognized him in an instant.

"Simms!" I gasped, dropping Ranger's hand and opening my arms to give him a hug.

He laughed and grabbed me around the middle, lifting me up for a bone-crushing bear hug. With an extra squeeze, he sat me back on my feet and took a small step back.

"Stephanie Plum!" he said, a tone of wonder in his voice. "What are you doing in Miami?"

Before I could answer, a serious-looking man strode towards the conference room door.

"Let's go, ladies!" he barked. "The meeting is starting _now_!"

Simms stood up straighter and headed towards the door. "We'll catch up after the meeting?" he asked.

I smiled and nodded. "Of course!"

With a raised eyebrow, Ranger placed his hand at the small of my back and guided me into the conference room. He settled me in a seat towards the back of the room and then strode to stand up front next to the man who had ordered all of the guys into the conference room.

The two of them were obviously in control of this meeting, and my thoughts began to wander as they discussed business, strategy, and what had gone wrong the night before.

Ron Simms! What were the odds of seeing him again? Here. In Miami. At RangeMan of all places. A small smile graced my lips as I shook my head in wonder.

Simms had been a good friend my last two years of college. Well, really, he had been a close friend to my roommate, Laney. But since the two of us had been almost inseparable, when you got one, you got the other!

Laney O'Brian was Irish through and through, from her red curly hair to her freckles and fair skin. She was sweet and sarcastic all at the same time, plus incredibly intelligent. She was an English major, but she had absolutely no interest in teaching. She just wanted to read great works of literature. This completely confused her parents who wanted to know what she was going to _do_ with her degree, with her life. The two of us had always joked that with her Bachelors in English she could be the head fry cook at McDonald's someday.

Laney was a ton of fun. Outgoing and friendly, everyone was drawn to her. We had a huge circle of friends and no shortage of acquaintances or party invites.

Thinking about my carefree college days, filled with friends and fun made me think about Eddie's comments to my mother. _"__But then I started noticing that I was seeing less and less of Steph. She wouldn't leave the house as much anymore. She wasn't as social. Even when I would see her out, she wasn't the same happy, friendly Stephanie that I've known all my life. He was taking that sweet, innocent part of her away."_

I have never been one who was afraid of new people or new situations. The first day of Kindergarten, dozens of kids had stood in the hallway crying and clinging to their mothers' legs. I remember looking at them and rolling my eyes, completely confused about what had them all upset. I had given my mom a kiss goodbye and trotted into the classroom, ready to play with the kids and the new toys.

But today, walking into an office building filled with unfamiliar guys, I had turned into a scared little kid hiding behind their mother's skirt.

What had caused me to change so completely? Had I really allowed Joe to have such a huge impact on my personality that Eddie, one of my best friends, barely recognized me?

I bit my lip and looked down at the floor. Could I get that part of me back? Could I become that person again? The fearless one? The fun, outgoing one?

A loud scraping sound caused me to jump in my seat, my eyes snapping up to take in the room around me. The meeting was obviously over, and the men, dismissed, were leaving the room to start their shift or to clock out.

I blew out a breath, somewhat frustrated with myself for zoning out. I doubted there was anything that I could do to help Ranger or RangeMan, but it still probably wasn't very polite of me to daydream through the entire meeting.

I stood to make my way towards Ranger, and I noticed the guys around me react to my presence. It was as if they had never seen a woman before. There were wide eyes, double takes, elbow nudging, and a few whispered comments about what exactly I was doing there.

My cheeks grew warm as I self consciously wended my way to the front of the room.

About halfway to my destination, I felt a strong hand on my shoulder. I spun around, eyes wide and heart racing, to find Simms grinning down at me.

"Hey, Simms!" I greeted him, relief washing through my system.

"Steffie," he nodded. "So are you free for a little while? Wanna grab some breakfast and catch up on things?"

I glanced towards the front of the room. Ranger was standing, his feet spread wide, arms crossed, staring blankly at the man next to him. The other guy was talking too low for me to make out what he was saying, but he was gesturing wildly, obviously trying to make a point of some sort.

"Umm…" I hesitated. "Actually I'm not really sure what my plans are for today. I may need to do some computer work or something."

Simms tipped his head and looked at me questioningly. "Are you working here at RangeMan?"

I cleared my throat nervously. "Kind of?" I answered, my voice trailing up towards the end of sentence and making my statement a question.

My eyes flicked back up to Ranger. This time I caught his gaze, and he nodded at me before turning back to his conversation.

Simms stared at me open mouthed. "Did you fly down here with Ranger?"

My cheeks grew hot instantly. "Yes." I squeaked.

His eyes grew wide as he grabbed my shoulders. "Are the two of you…?"

"Working together? Yes."

Simms narrowed his eyes at me. "You know that's not what I meant."

I looked back up towards the front of the room and saw Ranger walking purposefully towards me.

"That's all you're getting for now." I hissed back in reply, just before Ranger came up to stand behind me.

Simms dropped his hands from my shoulders and stood a little straighter, nodding at Ranger. "Sir."

Ranger nodded back. "The two of you know each other?" he questioned casually, sliding an arm around my waist.

"Yes, sir. We went to college together. I was just asking Steph if I could take her to breakfast, maybe catch up a little bit, but she wasn't sure what her work schedule was for today."

Ranger raised an eyebrow at me, which I took as a silent question- _Do you want to go?_

"Maybe we could do lunch instead?" I suggested. "That would give me a chance to get my stuff put away and work on a few programs I have started for RangeMan Trenton."

Simms grinned. "Lunch it is, then. I know a great Chinese place downtown. I know how much you love eggrolls and fried rice."

I grinned back. "Sounds good."

"Where will you be staying or working? Where should I meet you?"

"Ummm…" I stuttered, turning to look at Ranger.

"Stephanie is staying with me. She'll either be in my office or the apartment on 7." He answered.

Simms' eyes widened slightly at that. "Um, my key fob doesn't give me access to the 7th floor."

"Then I guess I'll meet you in Ranger's office? At noon?" I suggested.

Simms nodded and turned to walk away. Glancing over his shoulder, he gave me a pointed stare which I knew meant that I was going to have to do some serious talking over our eggrolls and wonton soup.

**R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S**

Ranger steered me down the hall and towards the control room and executive offices. Opening a door towards the end, he guided me through it.

Leaving the lights off, he closed the door, and pushed me up against the wall next to it.

His hands held my waist as his nose skimmed my neck. I shivered as his warm breath trailed across the sensitive skin.

"I have a laptop in here that you can use for your programs, Babe." He whispered, nipping my neck.

I let out a half moan, half groan.

"I'll be in and out all day. I want you to use my office for now."

"Mmm-hmm." I breathed in agreement, tangling my fingers in his hair.

"Anything else you need right now, Babe?" he whispered huskily.

God, yes! There were several things I needed right now. The first was for him to move his lips just a fraction of an inch to the left.

"Yes! Right there!" I moaned.

Ranger gave a quiet bark of laughter. "Anything else I can do for you right now, Babe?"

"Mmmm. I can think of a few things." I whispered.

I could feel him smirk against my neck. He gave my earlobe a gentle tug with his teeth and then took a step back, moving his hands up to frame my face.

One finger reached out and lazily traced a line down my cheek.

"So this Simms…" he began, searching my eyes.

"Is a friend from college." I answered breathlessly.

He dipped his head down and nibbled behind my ear. "Just a friend?" he whispered.

The electricity that shot throughout my system made it impossible for me to utter a coherent reply, but Ranger must have taken my groan as an affirmative.

"I'd hate to kill one of my own men." He whispered just before his lips found mine.

His lips, tongue, and teeth explored my mouth thoroughly, lazily, and I clung to his strong shoulders.

"Have a good day, Babe." He whispered. Dropping another kiss on the top of my head, he disappeared out the door, leaving me flushed and panting.

I lifted my hand up to my still-tingling lips. Holy cow! What was _that_ all about?


	17. Chapter 17

_A/N: After being gone for so long, I wasn't sure if anyone would still be interested in this story. I was so happy to see that the long absence was forgiven! Thank you all so much for the kind reviews. And for those of you who have sent encouraging private messages, they truly mean more than you know!_

Chapter 17

Laney and I stood on the sidelines, shivering, and trying to figure out what the hell was going on in front of us. I can follow football, hockey, baseball, and basketball, but the horrid mess of a game that was happening just a few feet away was an absolute mystery to me.

As far as I could tell, rugby was just an excuse for guys to beat each other up. There didn't seem to be any kind of rules or purpose to the game whatsoever.

"This game should be killed _Kill the Guy With the Ball_." I muttered to Laney.

She snorted in agreement. "It's like a bad combination of football, wrestling, and boxing!"

We watched as the guys all ended up in a huge circle, knees bent, heads pressed together, growling at one another. Laney and I snickered as the guys started chanting, "Scrum, scrum, scrum," which was the _official_ name for the huge pile of bodies pushing and shoving in front of us. At least according to Simms.

Laney gasped as one the guys got practically trampled to the ground.

"I hate that they don't wear helmets or pads or anything!" she muttered darkly.

"Helmets are for pussies!" I teased, mimicking Simms.

She glared at the guys. "Morons."

My eyes skimmed the field again, looking for Simms. I found him just in time to see him get knocked to the ground- hard. My hands flew up to cover my mouth as I stood frozen in place.

_Come on! Get up!_ I willed him, but he stayed still on the ground.

The coach ran over and patted his shoulder.

"Come on, man!" he coaxed, helping him sit up.

Flashing 4 fingers at him, he asked, "How many fingers am I holding up?"

Simms swung his head drunkenly and looked at the coach's hand. "Six?"

The coach shook his head. "Try again."

"Try again?" Laney erupted. "He doesn't get to TRY AGAIN! He got it wrong! Get him the hell off the field! He probably has a concussion!"

The coach glared at Laney. "He'll be fine. Just got the wind knocked out of him."

Laney crossed her arms over her chest and glared back at the coach, but her opinion was overruled. Simms walked around for just a few seconds and then went right back into the large tangle of limbs that was rugby.

After the game was finished, Simms came trotting over towards us with a big grin, a split lip, and the beginnings of a black eye.

Laney glared at him. "You boys are so dumb!"

His grin grew wider as he ruffled her hair. "Aww, Laney! Don't be mad! I'm fine!"

"Dumb jock!" she muttered, punching him lightly in the stomach and trying to hide her smile.

Simms doubled over in mock pain before chuckling and wrapping his arms around our shoulders. "I'll even let you two lovely ladies take the winner out for dinner!"

I raised my eyebrows at him. "Your team won?"

He let out an exasperated sigh at that. "Yes! You couldn't tell?"

I shook my head no, and Simms rolled his eyes at us.

"I swear I don't know why the two of you come to watch me play if you can't even follow the game!"

I rolled my eyes right back. "Well someone has to keep track of how many times you've gotten whacked in the head!"

Simms just chuckled and steered us towards his car.

**R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S**

A knock on Ranger's office door startled me out of my reminiscing.

"Come in!" I called out, looking up expectantly.

Simms opened the door and leaned against the frame, grinning at me.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

I couldn't help but smile back. I nodded, closed out of the program I was using, and shut down the laptop.

I stood up and stretched my arms over my head. "Let's go!"

We linked arms and headed down the hallway towards the elevator. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed several guys peeking their heads out of their cubicles as we passed. They were trying to be subtle, but it's hard to go undetected when you're 6'5" and weigh 250 to 300 pounds.

"You still attract a lot of attention from the guys!" Simms teased as we stopped in front of the elevator.

I rolled my eyes at him. "It's like they've never seen a female before."

Simms smirked. "No. They've just never seen one _here_ before." He paused. "And they're probably trying to figure out why you're staying with _Ranger_ but eating with _me_."

I snapped my head up to look at him wide-eyed. "What?" I screeched.

"What? You don't think that all the guys know where your bags were delivered?"

I closed my eyes and let out a frustrated breath.

Simms just shrugged. "Why do you care about their opinion?"

He had a point. Did I care what they thought?

I shrugged back and gave him a wry smile. "I guess I don't."

He grinned and unlinked our arms to give my shoulders a squeeze. "There's my girl!" he teased as the elevator doors opened.

We stepped onto the elevator, headed for the parking garage. Just as the doors were ready to close, we heard someone running down the tiled hallway and calling out urgently "Ms. Plum! Ms. Plum!"

Without thinking, I hit the open door button and stepped back out.

Rico gave me a relieved look. "I thought maybe I missed you."

My eyebrows knitted together. "Why were you looking for me?"

He cleared his throat. "Um, Ranger wanted me to give you this before you left."

I looked down at his open hand. A pen? I looked back up at him, confusion written all over my face.

"It's a tracker." He explained nervously.

"A what?"

"A tracker. As long as it's turned on, it will transmit a GPS signal to the control room. We'll be able to monitor your location that way."

I tipped my head to the side. "I don't understand. I already told Ranger where I'm going. Out for lunch. If the plans change, I can always call."

Rico shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "It's just a precaution, ma'am."

Simms reached out his hand and took the pen. Flipping it on, he dropped it into my bag.

I looked up at him and gave him my best _what the hell_ expression.

"If the boss wants you to carry the tracker, you should carry it." He said calmly.

"Fine." I huffed.

Rico looked relieved and nodded at Simms before walking quickly back down the hall.

"Ranger's gonna have some serious explaining to do this afternoon, though." I grouched.

Simms raised an eyebrow at me. "Speaking of people having some serious explaining to do…" he started.

I groaned. I should have known he wouldn't let it go.

**R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S **

Shaking my head, I watched in a mixture of amazement and disgust as Simms inhaled his egg roll.

Swallowing, he pinned me with a serious stare. "Spill it, Plum."

"Why whatever do you mean?" I asked, fluttering my eyelashes and feigning innocence.

"Well, first of all, I haven't heard from you in over a year. You've stood Laney and me up for the Homecoming game and parade the last two seasons. And then you turn up in Miami. With Ranger. What the hell has been going on with you?"

Ouch. Simms was never one to beat around the bush, so it shouldn't really surprise me that he was one of the few people confident enough to ask me about my life so directly.

I popped a forkful of broccoli and chicken in my mouth in an attempt to hold off answering, and Simms rolled his eyes at me.

"You're stalling!" he growled.

I swallowed hard and nodded.

"Yeah, I guess I am." I agreed weakly.

He raised an eyebrow at me, and I heard _I'm waiting_ as clear as if he'd said it out loud.

I blew out a deep sigh. "My life has been shitty the past few years." I finally began.

Simms nodded and kept shoveling in food, never once interrupting as I told him all about my apartment break-in, losing my job, and moving in with Joe. When I started to describe the abuse, though, he pounded his fist on the table, an angry scowl on his face.

I stopped mid-sentence and looked at him wide-eyed.

"Damn it, Stephanie!" he hissed. "Why didn't you say something? You know that Laney and I would have been there for you in an instant!"

I dropped my eyes to my lap, my fingers nervously shredding my napkin.

"I wanted to." I whispered. "But by then I'd already been so horrible to you both. I'd stood you up for the game once, never returned e-mails or calls." I shrugged. "I guess I thought you'd both be too upset with me to want to help."

Simms reached a hand across the table and tipped my chin up. I could see the serious determination in his eyes. "Never, Steph."

My forehead creased in confusion. "Huh?"

"I'd never be too upset to help you. And I know that Laney would feel the same way if you asked her."

I gave my head a small shake. "I don't know about that. I've been a pretty bad friend the last few years."

Simms gave me a level stare. "And why is that?"

I bit my lip. "I guess it would be easy to blame it on Joe. He certainly made it difficult to keep in touch with any of my friends. But I'm to blame, too. I was so embarrassed about what was going on. And confused. A lot of times I didn't want to be around other people. It was too hard. I hated having to come up with weak excuses for my bruises or for why I couldn't go out for dinner and a movie. It was just easier to avoid people than to interact with them."

"Makes sense." He responded quietly.

We sat in silence for a while before Simms finally spoke up again.

"So you and Ranger…"

"Ranger was giving me a place to hide and helping me file charges against Joe. My cousin is a bail bondsman, and Ranger works with him a lot. He did it as a favor."

Simms raised an eyebrow at me. "And there's nothing going on between the two of you?"

I cleared my throat. "Well…" I hesitated. "I've only known him for about a week."

"That doesn't mean anything." Simms pressed. "I've worked for this company for over a year, Steph. I've never seen Ranger bring a woman to the office before."

"Really?" I squeaked.

"Really. And there's definitely some kind of chemistry between the two of you. The way you look at each other! Whew!" he grinned.

I stuck out my tongue and then balled up my napkin and tossed it at him. Mature, I know.

Simms just laughed.

We spent the rest of the meal catching up, and I learned what he and Laney had been up to since I'd last spoken with them. It was one of the nicest meals I remembered having in a long time. Well, next to the dinners I'd had in Ranger's apartment.

When we finally couldn't fit another delicious bite into our bellies, the waitress bustled past our table, dropping off our check and two fortune cookies.

We grinned wickedly at each other and tore them open. My mind was full of flashbacks from college- all of the many, many times that Laney, Simms, and I would go out for Chinese.

Simms always insisted that we read our fortunes out loud. He would wait until we were done and then add "in bed!" while wagging his eyebrows up and down suggestively.

The worst one ever was Laney's- You must first give if you hope to receive. _In bed._

Simms started chuckling when he read his, and I grinned at him.

"You first!" I insisted.

He nodded and schooled his features into a serious mask. "If you don't do it excellently, don't do it at all."

I burst out laughing. "In bed!" I added.

He grinned and looked at me expectantly. "Well?"

I blushed and looked down at my fortune. _"__You can fall in love with a complete stranger in a heartbeat_, if God planned that route for you. So open your heart to strangers more often."

He looked up at me startled. "In bed!" he whispered, shocked.

_**Thanks again for all of the encouragement. I hope you like Simms. He and Laney may stick around for a while! ;)**_


	18. Chapter 18

_A/N: Thanks to GabbyDunk and Knitter for proofing this chapter and giving me some suggestions and ideas for where to go next. You girls are awesome! :)_

**Simms grinned and looked at me expectantly. "Well?"**

**I blushed and looked down at my fortune****. "You can fall in love with a complete stranger in a heartbeat, if God planned that route for you. So open your heart to strangers ****more often."**

**He looked up at me startled. "In bed!" he whispered, shocked.**

**Chapter 18**

**Steph's POV**

Ranger strolled back into his office around 4:30. He looked handsome, as he always did, but there was something about his face that I couldn't place. Was he tired? Discouraged? Both?

"Everything OK?" I asked quietly.

Ranger dropped into one of the guest chairs across from his desk and tipped his head to the side just slightly.

"Been better." He commented dryly.

I frowned and nodded. It didn't sound like the planning session had gone too well this afternoon.

"Anything I can do to help?" I offered. I figured that was kind of the equivalent of a five year old offering their piggy bank to help mom and dad pay the bills, but my offer was sincere if not incredible valuable.

Ranger gave me an appraising look and raised one eyebrow silently.

I waited him out, not sure if that look meant that he was thinking about accepting my offer or just appalled at how ridiculous it was.

Finally he raised his shoulders a fraction of an inch and stood up. Holding out a hand in my direction, he spoke.

"Why not? Maybe you'll see something the rest of us missed."

I wasn't quite sure how to take that comment. Did he really think that I might pick up on something that a group of security experts missed? Or was he just humoring me?

Either way, I figured it was time for me to put up or shut up. I had offered to help, and Ranger was taking me up on my offer. Even if he was just humoring me, I should give it my best effort, right?

I stood up and walked around the desk, taking his hand. He led me down the hall and into a small conference room. A group of guys was clustered around a table. From their body language, I could tell that they were frustrated. With each other? With the situation?

"Guys, this is Stephanie Plum, RangeMan Trenton's newest hire. Stephanie, this is the Miami Core Team." He pointed to each guy in turn and introduced them, starting with the man who had led the meeting this morning. "Julio, Ryan, Jeff, and Zig."

I smiled tentatively and nodded at the guys. "Nice to meet you."

They nodded and turned back to the piles of papers that were spread out all over the table.

Ranger pulled me towards the table. "I'd like Stephanie to take another look at the information we have collected here. I thought maybe a fresh pair of eyes would help us to pick up on something we've missed."

The guys looked a little doubtful, but they moved over and made room for me at the table. I sat down in one of the plush conference chairs and began sifting through the piles of paper and pictures in front of me.

Ranger squatted down next to my chair. He pointed at a collection of pictures. They showed a middle-aged man with a full head of graying hair and a killer smile. "That's our guy. Alfonse Herrera. Bruno on the streets."

I took a good look at the pictures and sat them down beside me.

Ranger picked up a few more photos of guys who looked to be around Alfonse's age. "These are some of the men who work for him. A few are cousins; the rest are just hired muscle."

I flipped through the pictures and added them to the stack.

Ranger pulled over a file folder next. "We have one of these on every guy working for Bruno. It lists everything from the guy's shoe size to his favorite color. Most importantly, it lists properties they own."

I nodded wide eyed as I looked around the table. There were stacks of the file folders everywhere.

Julio spoke up then. "We can't find Bruno, and we can't find the weapons he is supposedly trafficking. Either would be considered a win for us right now. We've searched all of the properties listed. Nothing."

Ryan added. "I've even searched family and close friends of the guys who work for him. Nothing."

"What about Herrera's family?" I asked.

Julio shook his head. "Other than the cousins who work for him, he doesn't have any family in the States. The rest of his family is in Columbia. We've run their passports through customs, and none of them have traveled out of the country in the past year."

I nodded. "What about his in-laws? Would they help him?"

Zig shook his head. "He's not married."

My forehead furrowed in confusion as I dug back through the stack of pictures. I was _sure_ that I had seen a ring on his finger! I pulled out the pictures of Herrera and spread them out in front of me. I started flipping through the pictures. No ring. No ring. No ring. Ring! I sorted the pictures into two piles- with rings and without rings.

All of the ring-less pictures were posed and taken at formal events. Herrera was in a suit or tux in all of the pictures, and the settings appeared to be charity balls or fundraisers. The pictures where he wore the ring all seemed to be candids- at the grocery store, walking the dog, or getting the mail. The best shot of the ring was a picture of Herrera driving. He had his arm resting on the open window, his hand in plain view.

I looked up at Ranger, eyebrows raised. He was shaking his head, a slight smile playing around his lips.

"Unbelievable." He muttered.

Jeff rubbed his hands across his face, agitated. "Then why doesn't a wife show up on his searches?"

Ranger smirked. "There are ways to hide that information. Especially if you're in a dangerous occupation and don't want to paint a target on your wife's back."

Julio's hands flew up in the air. "Married?" he cried. "Who the hell is he married to, then?"

I picked up a picture of Herrera with a beautiful girl in her mid-twenties. "I'd guess to her."

Ranger crossed his arms over his chest, an amused look on his face. "Why would you guess her, Babe?"

I shrugged. "Her wedding band matches his."

The guys just stared at me in silence for a good 20 seconds. Finally they snapped out of it, and Jeff grabbed the picture off of me.

Running out of the room, he yelled over his shoulder, "Good call, Plum!"

I smiled at the praise and lowered my head. Clearing my throat, I straightened up the piles of pictures and papers that were spread out in front of me.

"That was a good catch." Zig praised as he started organizing the file folders.

Standing up, I shrugged and smiled. "I'm a Jersey girl. We notice jewelry."

Ranger shook his head. "Don't do that, Babe."

I looked at him in confusion. "Don't do what?"

"Don't trivialize what you did."

I bit my lip and nodded.

"He's right." Ryan commented. "We've poured over this stuff for months and never paid any attention to the significance of that ring. How did you know it was a wedding band and not just another piece of jewelry?"

"It's not flashy enough to be for show. It was just a simple band with some channel set diamonds. It was either his wedding band or some kind of family heirloom."

Ryan shook his head. "Well, good call! In fact there are a few more cases that we're stumped on…." He gave me a big grin.

I wasn't sure if he was teasing or not, so I just nodded and smiled back. "Anytime."

Ranger wrapped his arm around my shoulders and started to steer me towards the conference room door. "She'll have to solve all of your cases later, Ryan. Right now we're headed for dinner."

I raised my eyebrows at him. We were? His lips tipped up ever so slightly as he nodded at me. Yep, we were.

We were headed down the hall towards the elevator when Jeff came sprinting towards us.

"We've got a name!" he called out.

Ranger turned towards him, giving him his full attention.

"Sophia Herrera. She shows up as his niece on most searches, but we dug a little deeper and found a name change about three years ago. She was born Sophia Valdez. Her family and the Herrera family go back quite a ways. Four years ago she moved to the US to attend college. She stayed with Herrera." Jeff paused to catch his breath, and we waited for him to continue. "She legally changed her name to Herrera three years ago. The same time she dropped out of college."

Ranger nodded. "Have you checked into properties or accounts in her name?"

Jeff nodded. "Some of the more in-depth searches are still running, but we've already got a large bank account in New York and a warehouse here in Miami."

Ranger nodded. "Let me know when the searches finish. I'll be on 7."

Jeff nodded and turned to jog back towards the control room.

**R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S **

Ranger and I had eaten most of our dinner in a comfortable silence. Both of us had plenty to think about, and Ranger wasn't a big talker anyhow. I assumed that his thoughts ran along the lines of Alfonse Herrera, while mine ran along the lines of Ron Simms and Laney O'Brian.

A few times, I caught Ranger looking at me with a slightly pensive look on his face, as if he were trying very hard to sort something out. At first I figured that he was working through the details of the Herrera case in his head. But then he tipped his head and gave me a slightly appraising look. As if _I_ were the puzzle.

For the life of me, I couldn't figure out what was confusing him. It's not as though I'm that much of an enigma!

Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. Pushing my plate away from me, I put my hands on the table, palms down.

"What?" I asked him in a slightly snarky voice.

Ranger raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Babe?" he questioned.

"You've been staring at me with a strange look on your face all through dinner. Like I'm a Rubik's cube and you're trying to figure out how to solve me without peeling all the stickers off or something."

Ranger gave me a small grin at that comment. "It's cheating if you peel the stickers off and move them, you know."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Don't try to change the subject, buddy!"

His grin widened. "Buddy?"

I blew out a huffy breath and stood up to take my plate into the kitchen. "Fine. Don't tell me."

His face became serious. "Stephanie." He said in a quiet voice.

I stopped and looked over at him.

He ran his hand over his face. "I'm trying to piece together your behavior this morning with the girl I thought I knew from Trenton."

I could feel my forehead wrinkle. "Huh?" 

He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in the dining room chair. "Usually I think I'm a pretty good judge of people. I can read them pretty well."

He paused, and I raised my eyebrows at him. It was my silent version of _"And...?"_

"Your behavior this morning. With Simms. It surprised me. Now I'm trying to figure you out all over again."

I sat back down in my chair and shook my head, a small smile on my face. "You don't have to figure me out, Ranger. I'm not that complicated. Besides, whatever you want to know about me, you can just ask. I'll tell you."

He laced his fingers behind his head and looked at me thoughtfully. "You reacted very positively to seeing Simms this morning."

I tipped my head to the side. "That's a statement, not a question, but yes. It was nice to see Simms. It's been a while since I've seen him."

Ranger gave a small nod. "You looked happy to see him."

"Seeing him brought back a lot of memories."

"Good or bad?" 

A smile spread across my face. "Good."

Ranger frowned. "How good?"

I laughed. "Not _that_ good. Just memories of happy times. It made me think about being in college with him and my other friends. How happy we were. How much fun we had."

I blew out a frustrated breath. I knew I wasn't doing a very good job of explaining myself to him. I looked up at Ranger and smiled. "Kind of like walking into my grandmother's house."

Ranger's brow furrowed.

I talked quickly, trying to explain my confusing example. "Whenever I walked into my grandmother's house I instantly felt like I was home. Safe. Happy. Loved. My brain would get flooded with all of the memories I'd made there in that house. All of the chocolate chip cookies we'd baked, all the times I hid there so I wouldn't have to face my mom. On rainy days, my Grandma would hide pennies all over that house, and I'd try to find them. Then I'd hide them for her." I looked up and saw Ranger staring intently at me. He seemed to be following so far, so I continued.

"I remember crying to Grandma because I wasn't perfect like Valerie, and she would whisper that I reminded her of a younger version of herself. She made me feel special." I cleared my throat. "And I would feel that. That feeling of being special every time I walked through her door. I don't know. I can't explain it any better than that, I guess." I lifted my shoulders in a shrug, and Ranger nodded that he understood.

"And Simms?" he asked quietly.

I looked down at my lap. "He makes me remember all of the fun times that I had in college. The person I used to be. The person I wish I still was."

"And who is that person?"

I smiled wryly. "I'm not sure if I know anymore."

Ranger reached his hand across the table and grabbed mine gently. "But you feel like that person again when you're around Simms?"

I bit my lip. Did I feel like my old self today around Simms? Yeah, kind of. I gave Ranger a hesitant nod.

His thumb stroked my hand. "I'd like to meet that Stephanie someday."

"Why?" I whispered.

"I liked seeing you happy today, Babe. I don't think I've seen you smile that big in the entire time you've been at RangeMan. I'd love to see you like that more often."

I snorted. "Be careful what you wish for, Ranger. My roommate and I were quite the pair in college."

Ranger raised an eyebrow in question, and I gave him a big smile in return.

"Let's just say that not many people could handle the two of us for too long."

Ranger flashed me a wolf grin. "I'm pretty sure I can handle you, Babe."

Eep! My heart started beating double time as he stood up and walked towards me. I was pretty sure he could handle me, too!

_**TBC**_


	19. Chapter 19

_A/N: Happy Thanksgiving Eve to everyone in the States! We had Parent-Teacher Conferences last week where the teachers put in a 12 and a half hour day- 8:30am-9:00pm. Bleh! It is a looooooong day! But the upside is that we get the day before Thanksgiving off! Woo hoo! So my goal for today is to get the house cleaned and ready for company tomorrow and to update My Dark Knight! (The Breakfast Club should also get an update before the weekend is done!) _

_So here is Chapter 19! Thanks to Karren and Knitter for the encouragement and the help getting it together! Have a great Thanksgiving and try not to eat too much turkey and pumpkin pie! ;) _

**Bold from Chapter 18**

"**I liked seeing you happy today, Babe. I don't think I've seen you smile that big in the entire time you've been at RangeMan. I'd love to see you like that more often."**

**I snorted. "Be careful what you wish for, Ranger. My roommate and I were quite the pair in college."**

**Ranger raised an eyebrow in question, and I gave him a big smile in return.**

"**Let's just say that not many people could handle the two of us for too long."**

**Ranger flashed me a wolf grin. "I'm pretty sure I can handle you, Babe." **

**Eep! My heart started beating double time as he stood up and walked towards me. I was pretty sure he could handle me, too!**

**Chapter 19**

I swallowed hard as Ranger came and stood next to me. He held out a hand and pulled me up and out of my chair. His hands framed my face, and I stared up at him wide eyed.

"So tell me more about this Stephanie that you don't think I can handle." He whispered huskily.

I stared at him, hypnotized. "She's a menace." I managed. "A danger to society."

He leaned in closer, his lips skimming my forehead. "Maybe she's misunderstood." He suggested in a low voice.

"Maybe she needs to be reformed." I moaned as his teeth grazed my neck.

He let out a low growl and drew me closer to his chest. "Then you should probably stay away from me, Babe."

"Why?" I panted.

"I'm a terrible influence, and you're already a bad girl."

I gasped as his lips devoured mine. My hands tangled in his hair, holding him to me as we let ourselves get lost in each other.

I was plastered fully against his body, so I felt the vibration against my hip when his phone began to ring. Ranger swore under his breath and yanked the phone off his belt.

"Yo!" he answered angrily.

If I would have been on the other end of the line, I would have yelped and hung up the phone. Evidently his employees were used to that tone, though, because the guy on the other end didn't even pause.

"Two teams have been sent out to run surveillance on the properties that showed up in Sophia Herrera's name. There's a warehouse down in the industrial park and a beach house outside of the city. The warehouse looks promising. Julio wants a team ready to leave in under an hour. He expects Bruno to be there."

"Affirmative." Ranger answered before he ended the call.

He looked down at me, a slightly frustrated expression on his face. "I'm gonna have to get ready to go, Babe."

My heart rate still hadn't fully returned to normal, and I wasn't a hundred percent sure that I could stand on my own right now. That last kiss had left me feeling seriously lightheaded.

I grabbed his shirt and dragged him closer to me. "Not for an hour." I whispered, capturing his lips with mine.

He groaned and pulled back. "Babe, what I want to do to you is going to take way more than an hour."

I slid my hands up under his T-shirt and lightly scratched down over his chest and abs. "Then give me a sneak peek of what's to come." I whispered.

Ranger looked at me, a pained expression on his face. "Not this way, Steph. We agreed to go slow. This isn't what you want."

I clenched my fists. "Damn it, Ranger! Yes it is!"

He looked at me, confused.

"I haven't had control over anything in my life for the past several years. Trust me. I want this. Now." And I did. I knew it was fast. I knew it was probably foolish, but I felt closer to Ranger after a week and a half than I'd ever felt with Dickie or Joe. And I wanted him. Now.

He stared at me for about five seconds before making up his mind.

I shrieked as he scooped me up and tossed me over his shoulder, practically running for the bedroom. He tossed me gently onto the bed, and I bounced on my back.

He toed his boots off and climbed onto the bed. He looked like a dark jungle cat crawling towards its prey, and I swallowed hard, remembering that right now that was me.

Ranger straddled my body, his knees on either side of my hips. His dark hands reached down to tangle in my hair as his lips found mine. "You are definitely a handful, Stephanie Plum." He whispered against my mouth.

My hands found the waistband of his cargo pants and greedily slipped inside. No underwear! He was naked underneath those pants! I groaned, my hips pressing up involuntarily at my discovery.

Ranger's forehead dropped to mine as he sucked in a deep breath. "Fuck, Babe!" he managed.

My fingers greedily reached for every inch of his muscular backside until he slowly slid further down the bed, out of my reach. I let out a little moan of complaint until I realized that he was sliding up my T-shirt and bra.

His teeth found my nipple, and my moan of complaint turned into a shriek of ecstasy.

My hands tangled in his hair and rubbed his muscular arms while my back arched up off of the bed, offering him more.

He pulled away, and I opened my eyes in confusion.

It was only then that I heard the loud banging on his apartment door.

Ranger tucked his shirt back into his pants and adjusted himself as best as he could. There was still a rather noticeable bulge in the front of his pants, but there wasn't anything he could do about that. I would certainly be willing to help with it, but I doubted that whoever was banging on the door would want to wait that long….

I fixed my shirt and bra and hopped up, following Ranger to the foyer.

He opened the door to Julio and the rest of the Core Team.

"What the hell, man?" Julio started. "You don't answer your phone anymore? I was trying to tell you that we were ready to…" his voice faded away as his eyes skimmed the two of us.

He took in Ranger's missing boots, disheveled hair, and the rather large bulge in the front of his pants as well as my swollen lips and wild curls.

Clearing his throat, Julio said. "We're leaving in 10." He closed the door, and I could hear the Core Team making their way to the elevator at the end of the hall.

Ranger smirked and shook his head, staring at the floor.

"What?" I asked.

"I've never seen my brother speechless before." He laughed.

My forehead creased. "Julio is your brother?"

Ranger nodded. "Four years older than me."

I wrapped my arms around his waist and pulled him towards me. "Well, anytime you want to make him speechless, you just let me know."

Ranger groaned. "This Stephanie _is_ a menace!" he growled.

"You were warned!" I whispered teasingly.

His arms wrapped around me for just a second. Dropping a kiss on the top of my head, he pulled back and headed into the bedroom to grab his boots.

"Will you be OK by yourself for a while, Babe?" he asked, pulling on his boots and strapping on his weapons.

I chewed on my bottom lip nervously. "How long will you be?"

He raised his shoulders in one of his barely there shrugs. "Four or five hours, maybe? It depends on who and what we find."

I nodded. "Would it be OK if Simms came up for a little bit? Just to keep me company?"

Ranger frowned for just a second before it was gone from his face. "Of course, Babe. But you'll have to go get him." He handed me his fob.

I reached up to give him a quick peck on the cheek. "Don't get shot, Batman." I whispered.

He leaned down and captured my lips with his. When he pulled back, I was breathless.

"Don't go crazy, Babe." He whispered huskily before he disappeared out the door.

I stood in the foyer, staring at the door for a few minutes before finally shaking my head to clear my thoughts. I wandered into the bathroom and splashed some water on my overheated cheeks. Then I wrestled my crazy curls back into a ponytail.

Grabbing my purse, I dug for the business card Simms had given me. He had written his apartment phone and cell phone on the back.

"Aha!" I exclaimed triumphantly, finally finding the card buried at the bottom of my bag.

I picked up Ranger's apartment phone and dialed.

"'Lo?" A scratchy voice answered.

I paused. "Simms?"

"Yeah. Who's this? Steffie? That you?"

I shook my head. "Yeah, it's me. Were you sleeping?"

Simms cleared his throat. "Yeah. I worked the night shift last night. I headed to bed after we got back from lunch. What time is it?"

I glanced at the clock on the microwave. "About 9:00. I'm really sorry to wake you up! Go back to sleep. I'll talk to you later."

I was ready to hang up, but I could hear Simms protesting. "It's fine, Steph. It's about time for me to get up anyhow. What's up?"

I took a deep breath. "Well, Ranger left for a job, and I just wondered if maybe you'd like to come up and keep me company?" The last part came out a little uncertain.

Simms sounded confused. "Is something wrong?"

I let out a frustrated breath. "No, just a side effect of Joe. Sometimes I get nervous about being alone. Especially at night. I just thought maybe you could come up and hang out for a while. We could catch up on things."

"Sure, Steph. You know I'd love to hang out with you. Want me to bring up a movie or something?"

"Sure. That sounds good. Maybe Ranger has some popcorn or chips or something up here we could munch on."

Simms snickered. "If he does, it'll be no salt, no butter popcorn!"

I laughed. That was true.

"How about I smuggle up some of the snacks I have hidden down here in my cupboard?"

I grinned. I knew I loved Simms for a reason! "That would be awesome!" I agreed.

I could hear Simms climb out of bed. "Give me fifteen minutes or so to grab a shower and get dressed. Then how are we gonna do this? I don't have a fob for the 7th floor."

"I have Ranger's. Wanna meet me by the elevators on 5 in fifteen minutes?"

Simms yawned. "That'll work. See ya in fifteen, Plum."

I giggled. "Go take a shower and wake up!"

He snorted before disconnecting the phone, and I ran into the dining room to gather up our dinner dishes before heading down to pick up Simms.

**R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S**

I stepped off of the elevator on the 5th floor and saw Simms leaning against the wall across from the doors.

I smiled at him. "Hey! You ready?"

He was looking over my shoulder, a small frown on his face. I turned to follow his stare and saw a few of the guys watching us.

I looked back at him, confused. "Everything OK?" I asked.

He pushed off of the wall and finally looked down at me. He forced a smile on his face and motioned towards the elevator. "Ready."

Once the doors closed, I turned towards him. "What's going on?"

His eyes glanced at the camera in the corner of the elevator. "I'll tell you in a minute."

I frowned but didn't push any further. Clearly whatever was going on was something he didn't want recorded on the RangeMan security footage.

We stepped off on the 7th floor, and I used the fob to open the apartment door.

I led the way to the living room. "Want something to drink? Water? Iced tea?"

Simms shook his head. "I'm good, thanks."

I settled next to him on the couch. "So what's up?"

He looked frustrated. "I guess some of the guys have been making comments about the fact that you and I are pretty chummy looking."

My eyebrows flew up in surprise. "What?"

"They think there's something going on."

I moaned and buried my face in my hands. Why was I topic of gossip even in Miami? I thought I had left that behind in Trenton!

Simms patted my shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Steph."

I looked up at him. "That's easy for you to say! I don't want Ranger to think I'm going behind his back and sleeping with one of his employees!"

Simms grinned triumphantly. "So there _is_ something going on between the two of you!"

I couldn't stop the grin from spreading across my face. "Maybe."

Simms grinned knowingly. "Ranger's not stupid, Steph. He doesn't listen to gossip." He paused. "Did he know that you were going to ask me up here?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

He shrugged. "Then evidently he's fine with it. He knows the truth."

I sighed loudly and nodded. Yeah. He did.

Simms slung an arm around my shoulders. "So do you want to see what I smuggled up here for movie night, or what?"

I grinned. Of course I did!

**R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S**

The junk food and movies had been a welcome distraction and a little slice of normal for me. It had been a long time since I had pigged out and watched movies with friends.

Plus it had allowed Simms and me a chance to catch up some more. Simms was still furious over Joe. He insisted that he could make a few calls to the guys in Trenton and have him taken care of, but I assured him that that wasn't necessary.

Simms frowned. "One of my mom's best friends was in an abusive relationship. They used to ride back and forth to work together, and every once in a while she would mention something about it, or my mom would notice a new bruise." Simms paused.

"What happened?" I asked quietly.

He shook his head and grinned at me. "She beat the living crap out of her husband one night with a baseball bat."

My hands flew up to cover my mouth, and a surprised giggle escaped. "Really?" I gasped.

"Really." Simms nodded. "She couldn't take it anymore. She waited until he was fast asleep one night and tied him up in the bedsheets. Then she beat him with a baseball bat until she was exhausted."

I sat quietly for a minute then looked up at Simms. "Did he get mad? Did he pay her back for doing that to him?"

Simms shook his head. "Nope. According to my mom, she told him, 'You may be stronger than me during the day, asshole, but you have to sleep sometime.' Evidently, it scared the shit out of him. He made up a story about being in a bar fight to cover up all the bruises, and he never touched her again."

I slumped back against the couch. "Hmmm."

Simms grinned. "Wondering how you could sneak back into Joe's house and tie him up in the sheets?"

I laughed and shook my head. "No way. I'm not trying to change his behavior so that I can stay. I'm gone, and I'm not going back."

I chewed on my lower lip. "Plus I'm pretty sure I couldn't do that."

Simms raised an eyebrow at me in disbelief. "Yeah, right!"

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What?"

He snorted. "Are you trying to convince me that you don't do crazy, irrational things when you're angry?"

A huge grin spread across my face, but I wiped it off. Crossing my arms over my chest, I exhaled haughtily. "I have no idea what you're talking about, sir!"

He narrowed his eyes and looked at me, a grin playing around his lips. "All I have to say is brownies during pledge week!"

I snorted. "I told you! I had nothing to do with that! I didn't know the girls were going to make them with chocolate flavored Ex-Lax! But it serves you right for stealing their pledge books!"

He leaned over and shoved me down, pinning my back to the couch cushions, and started tickling me. "You knew all about it, Plum! Admit it!"

"I didn't! I swear!" I panted in between giggles.

I squirmed on the sofa. "Stop!" I gasped, laughing. "You're going to make me pee my pants!"

Simms got an evil look in his eye and kept tickling me. "You want me to stop? It's gonna cost you, Steffie!"

"Name it!" I gasped. "Uncle! Uncle!"

He grinned and leaned closer. I panted as I stared into his eyes. A strange shiver of foreboding worked its way down my neck just as I heard the apartment door click open.

_**TBC**_


	20. Chapter 20

_A/N: For better or for worse, I couldn't get this story out of my head. I kept thinking about what Ranger's response would be to opening the door and seeing Steph and Simms like that. And what if it wasn't Ranger? What if it was one of the guys? What would _they_ think? So, thanks to my overactive imagination, here is the next chapter!_

_Happy Turkey Day! Gobble, Gobble! ;)_

**Bold from Chapter 19**

**I squirmed on the sofa. "Stop!" I gasped, laughing. "You're going to make me pee my pants!"**

**Simms got an evil look in his eye and kept tickling me. "You want me to stop? It's gonna cost you, Steffie!"**

"**Name it!" I gasped. "Uncle! Uncle!"**

**He grinned and leaned closer. I panted as I stared into his eyes. A strange shiver of foreboding worked its way down my neck just as I heard the apartment door click open.**

**Chapter 20**

Simms looked towards the foyer and immediately stood up, a worried expression on his face. I sat up and looked over the back of the couch. Ranger and his brother Julio were standing in the foyer, matching blank expressions on their faces.

My cheeks flooded with color as I realized what they had just walked in on. It probably hadn't looked very good, even though it was completely innocent.

I opened my mouth to explain, but before I could say anything, Simms cleared his throat. He nervously looked between Ranger and me. "I'll, uh, I'll just be going."

He grabbed his movies and glanced over at me. "See you later, Steph?"

I nodded wordlessly.

Simms stood next to Ranger and Julio uncertainly, waiting. Julio looked over at Ranger, giving him a pointed stare.

"I'll get the elevator for you." Julio told Simms woodenly. He walked briskly towards the door and motioned him through it first.

As the door quietly clicked closed, I stood up, nervously twisting my hands. Ranger still stood in the foyer, his face giving nothing away.

I bit my lip. "Did you find Herrera?" I asked quietly, rounding the back of the couch.

Ranger gave a stiff nod. "Yes. Thanks to your discovery earlier."

He stared at me, and I nodded.

"Did you and Simms have a good time?" he asked in a neutral voice.

My eyes widened. "We… we just watched a couple of movies." I stuttered.

Ranger's eyes slid to the TV. Which was turned off. And _had been_ turned off when he walked in. He raised an eyebrow at me.

I felt my stomach somersault and tears begin to prick behind my eyes. Nothing I said was going to explain away what he thought he had walked in on. I took a deep breath.

"I'm not that kind of girl, Ranger!" I choked out.

He tipped his head. "What type is that?" he questioned.

I couldn't look at him. "The type that would throw herself at you one minute and then someone else a few hours later. I know this doesn't look good, but…" my voice wobbled. "I swear, Ranger, nothing happened."

My emotions were all over the map. I was sad, disappointed, angry, and hurt. I didn't know what to do; I just knew that I couldn't stay there right now.

I choked out a sob and walked past Ranger to the apartment door. I grabbed my purse off of the hook by the door.

"Where are you going?" Ranger asked quietly.

I still couldn't look at him. "I don't know. For a walk? I need to clear my head."

He strode over to me. "Stephanie, it's 3 am. You can't go walking by yourself on the streets of Miami."

"For a drive then." I answered defiantly.

He tipped my chin up, and I could see a small smile threatening to take over his lips. "You don't have keys, Babe."

I turned my head and began crying in earnest then. Damn it! I yanked open the apartment door, but Ranger stood behind me and pushed it closed.

For some reason, that one act completely set me off. Probably Dr. Michaels would have lots of theories about why that was. Maybe I viewed it as Ranger trying to control me, trap me even. More likely, it was because I was pissed and didn't appreciate having my options taken away from me.

I whirled around, my teeth clenched and my fists balled up. "Open the door!" I hissed.

The smile immediately vanished from Ranger's face, replaced by his blank mask. "No."

"Damn it, Ranger! I need some space right now!" I screamed.

"You can have all the space you need right here." Ranger answered calmly, taking a few steps back.

I hated that he was so calm! It made me feel like he was an adult, and I was a child that needed reasoned with. Why couldn't he just yell and scream, too? That would make me feel so much better!

"Fine!" I growled. In frustration I threw my purse onto the floor. I watched in horror as it slid across the tile and into a huge ceramic vase that decorated the entryway. I swear that the vase broke apart in slow motion. I could almost count the shards as one by one they split apart and crashed to the foyer floor.

All of the anger was immediately gone from my system as I watched Ranger's vase break into a million pieces.

"Well, shit!" I choked out. I slumped to the floor, landing on my knees. I buried my face in my hands and began to sob uncontrollably for the first time in a really long time.

I cried for the relationship I had lost with Joe. I cried for my old self, that I wasn't sure I would ever get back. I cried for the doubt I had caused Ranger to have in me. And I cried for Ranger's vase, which was probably a priceless Chinese antique.

I felt Ranger's arms wrap around me from behind. I turned into his chest, and he picked me up and turned me so that I was straddling his lap. His hands rubbed up and down my back as he _ssshed _me and whispered softly in Spanish. I have no idea what he was saying. For all I know, he could have been telling me how much I owed him for the vase, but I pretended that he was whispering comforting things instead.

When I had finally cried myself out, I took a deep shuddering breath. "I'm sorry about your vase." I whispered, my face still buried in his chest.

"It's just a vase, Babe." Ranger replied quietly.

I nodded, and we sat like that for a few more minutes.

"Are you ready for bed?" Ranger asked softly.

I sat up and looked at him. "Are you coming to bed, too?"

His eyes moved from mine as he answered. "I have a few things to finish up first, and then I'll be in."

I swallowed hard and nodded. He wasn't coming to bed.

I stood up and walked into the kitchen. I came back out a few minutes later with the trash can, a dust pan, and a small broom.

Ranger raised an eyebrow at me. "What are you doing, Babe?" he asked.

"Cleaning up the mess I made." I thought it was pretty self-explanatory, but evidently not.

Ranger just shook his head. "Go to bed, Steph. I'll get it."

I shook my head stubbornly. "I made the mess; I'll clean it up."

Without a word, Ranger headed into his office, and I started the entryway cleanup. First I picked up the biggest pieces and carefully placed them in the trash can. Then I used the dustpan and broom to sweep up the smaller shards.

I was only about halfway done with the cleanup when there was a knock on the apartment door. I stood up uncertainly. Should I answer it? I looked down the hall towards the office, but Ranger didn't seem to have heard the door.

I walked over, planning to look through the peep hole, when the door opened. Julio.

He looked at me, tear stained and cleaning up the broken vase, and his eyes narrowed. I guess I couldn't blame him for disliking me. I thought my brother-in-law was an ass for cheating on Valerie, and Julio probably had the same opinion of me right now.

I tried to give him a friendly smile, but it came out as more of a grimace.

"Where's my brother?" he asked coolly.

I gestured down the hall. "In his office." I whispered.

He stared at me for a minute, as if debating whether or not to say something. I held my breath to see which decision would win out.

Finally he said, "I _told_ Ranger you weren't worth the trouble."

I let out a surprised gasp at his harsh words.

He shook his head disgustedly. "You don't have anything to say?"

I bit my lip as fresh tears started. "You're probably right." I sniffed, thinking that I certainly had brought Ranger enough trouble to last a lifetime.

"No, he's not."

I looked up, surprised to see Ranger standing in his office door, a dark expression on his face.

He walked over to me and wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me against him. He glared at Julio. "I told you earlier, and I'm telling you now. What's going on between me and Stephanie is none of your concern."

Julio snorted. "So you don't mind having your employees think that your woman is sleeping with one of their coworkers? That's great, Ranger. Really intelligent."

Ranger answered in a low voice. "Stephanie and Simms have known each other since college. They are friends. That's all."

Julio rolled his eyes. "Right. Because friends wrestle each other on the couch all the time."

I let out a surprised gasp. "Nothing happened!" I insisted.

Julio glared at me. "Look, honey. I don't know what your angle is, but you can forget it. I'm not going to let you ruin my brother, his business, and his reputation."

"I… I… I don't know what you mean!" I stuttered.

"Right. A fragile little girl just mysteriously turns up at my brother's office needing help. Then she tricks him into staying with her every night and pretends to have feelings for him just so that he'll take her places, take her shopping, maybe buy her a new car." He snorted. "Hell, maybe she can even get the idiot to marry her. Or at least get her pregnant. That ought to set her up for life."

Before I could insist that it wasn't true, Ranger's fist connected with Julio's mouth. Julio stumbled back and looked at Ranger in shock.

"What the hell, man?" he screamed.

"I told you. What goes on between Stephanie and me is none of your fucking business." Ranger growled.

Julio glared at him. "You're a fucking idiot. You know that, right? She's playing you. Using you. And you're letting her."

Ranger shook his head. "You're wrong. I trust Stephanie. More than I trust a lot of other people."

Julio looked at him in surprise. "Are you saying that you trust that _puta_ more than you trust me? Nice, _hermano_. Real nice." He spat. "She must be some piece of ass!"

Ranger growled and lunged towards Julio again, but this time Julio was ready. The two of them began trading jabs and punches, and I leaned against the wall, feeling sick.

I couldn't believe what Julio had said. Is that what everyone else here thought of me, too? Is that why the guys were staring at me and Simms tonight?

I flew into the bathroom and made it to the toilet just in time. Sliding to my knees, I retched again and again. All of the sugary goodness that Simms had smuggled into the apartment was coming back up.

There was nothing left in my stomach, but my brain hadn't gotten the memo. It kept trying to empty it even more. I couldn't stop the dry heaves that were wracking my body. I closed my eyes and clung to the seat of the toilet, praying that they would end soon.

Suddenly I heard footsteps behind me.

"Babe." Ranger said, concerned.

I couldn't turn to look at him. I couldn't even answer him as I fought my way through another round of spasms.

I could hear the sink running, and then I felt a cool washcloth being pressed against my forehead and my neck.

I leaned back from the toilet, tremors coursing through my body as I gasped for breath.

Ranger wrapped a towel around me. "You're alright, Babe." He soothed.

I leaned heavily against him, my body feeling as tired, broken, and defeated as my spirit did right then.

"Sit up for just a minute, Babe." Ranger murmured.

I did, and he slid out from behind me. My eyes were closed, and I was too exhausted to really care where he had gone.

I just wanted this horrible night to be over. I remembered saying things like that to my Grandma Mazur when I was a child, and she would scold me- _You're wishing your life away!_ It was true, and I knew it, but this particular night was one that I certainly wouldn't miss.

I heard water running. My curiosity was piqued. I opened one eye in the direction of the noise. Ranger was filling the huge garden tub with water. And now it looked like he was adding bubble bath or some kind of scented oil.

He slid back behind me on the floor. "It'll take a little while for the tub to fill, but I thought it might help you to relax before we go to bed."

We? Did that mean he was coming to bed with me after all?

"We?" I repeated hopefully.

Ranger sighed heavily and wrapped his arms around me. Dropping a kiss on top of my head, he answered. "Yeah, Babe. We."

My heart leapt just a little bit in my chest. "Does that mean we're OK?" I asked hesitantly.

"It means we will be." Ranger answered.

Good enough for me.

_**TBC**_

Please review and let me know what you think!


	21. Chapter 21

_A/N: Thank you so much for all of the awesome reviews! I love to see what you guys think! Thank you, thank you to those of you who are faithful reviewers of every chapter. And to those of you who reviewed for the first time, thank you so much for letting me know what you think! You Babes sure know how to motivate a girl to keep writing! :) _

**Bold from Chapter 20**

**We? Did that mean he was coming to bed with me after all?**

"**We?" I repeated hopefully.**

**Ranger sighed heavily and wrapped his arms around me. Dropping a kiss on top of my head, he answered. "Yeah, Babe. We."**

**My heart leapt just a little bit in my chest. "Does that mean we're OK?" I asked hesitantly.**

"**It means we will be." Ranger answered.**

**Good enough for me.**

**Chapter 21**

I climbed out of the tub and quickly dried myself off. Pulling on a T-shirt and a pair of gym shorts, I padded out to Ranger's bedroom.

He was sitting up in bed propped against the headboard and typing away on his laptop.

I stood in the doorway, suddenly feeling a little bit uncertain. I bit my lip as I remembered some of the harsh things that Julio had said. _I told Ranger that you weren't worth the trouble. _My stomach twisted nervously as I tried to decide whether I should join Ranger or just take the couch tonight.

Ranger glanced up, an eyebrow raised. "You gonna come to bed, Babe? Or are you gonna stand in the doorway all night?"

I fidgeted nervously. "I wasn't sure if you wanted me to join you or not." I whispered.

Ranger shook his head and closed his laptop, sitting it on his nightstand. He patted the bed next to him. "Come to bed, Babe."

I nodded and walked slowly over towards him. Climbing onto the big bed, I quietly slipped under the covers leaving a little space between us.

Ranger sighed and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me closer to him. I bit my lip as he pulled my back firmly against his front.

"We need to talk, Steph, but it's late. It can wait until morning."

I nodded.

Ranger softly rubbed his hands up and down my arms.

"Ranger?" I whispered quietly.

"Yeah, Babe?"

"I'm not… I would never… I mean…" I blew out a frustrated breath.

Ranger's arms tightened around me for just a second. "I know, Babe."

**R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S**

**Ranger's POV**

The alarm on my cell phone chirped at 7:45, and I eased out of bed. Not many people could function on four hours of sleep, but luckily I was one of them.

I slid my pillow into the spot I had vacated, turning it so that it lay down the length of the bed. Almost immediately, Stephanie curled her body around it. Mumbling incoherently, she nuzzled her face into the pillow before sighing contentedly and throwing an arm over it.

Shaking my head in amusement, I headed in for a quick shower. It was Sunday, and there would be no regular Morning Meeting today. Instead, Julio and I had scheduled a meeting of the Core Team for my apartment at 0800 sharp.

I finished dressing in time to let Rosalinda in with the breakfast cart. The Core Team would be right behind her.

**R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S**

We were working our way down through the stack of open cases when a bloodcurdling scream came from my bedroom. Stephanie. My heart clenched as I leapt from the table and tore down the hall.

The guys followed behind me, their weapons drawn, and serious expressions on their faces. I knew that there wasn't an enemy in my bedroom, but there was no sense in telling them that. They would keep their weapons out until the room had been cleared. Fine by me. As long as none of them touched Stephanie.

I ran into the room and saw her curled up in a ball. Her arms were wrapped around her body, protecting herself. Most of what she screamed was incoherent, but every once in a while I could make out a few words.

My heart sank when she screamed, "No! Please, Ranger!"

I knew it had been a mistake to punch Julio in front of her. I knew it as soon as I had done it, but it had been too late to take it back. Were her nightmares now that I was the one attacking her? Please, God! Let that not be the case.

I flew over to the bed, calling her name. "Stephanie! Stephanie, I'm right here. Open your eyes, Babe. It's OK. I'm right here, and no one is going to hurt you."

Out of the corner of my eye I could see the guys surveying the room, guns still drawn.

"Stephanie!" I called again, climbing onto the bed.

"Come on, Babe. Wake up!" I rubbed her back soothingly, and the screaming stopped.

I laced my fingers through hers and pushed the wild curls out of her face.

She opened her eyes and stared right at me. "Please don't make me go." She quietly begged.

"What are you talking about, Babe?" I asked quietly. "Where do you think I'd make you go?"

She sniffled and sat up. Glancing towards the door, she saw all of the guys standing there, and her eyes grew huge.

I glared at the men. "You can leave." I barked. "There's no threat here. I'll be back out in a minute."

The guys nodded and filed out one at a time. Julio was the last to leave, a confused expression on his face.

I gently turned Stephanie's face towards mine. "They're gone. Now why do you think I'm making you go somewhere?"

Her eyes dropped to her lap as she began to fidget and play with her fingers. "I, um…" her voice came out weak and raspy.

I was determined to wait her out, so I began rubbing her arms soothingly. Up and down. Up and down.

A few minutes of that seemed to relax her, and her eyes flicked up to mine nervously.

"I had a bad dream." She whispered.

I nodded. "I know. And right before you woke up, you said, 'No! Please, Ranger!' Then you asked me not to make you go. What were you dreaming about?"

She bit her lip hard and turned her head, staring at the closed bedroom door.

"C'mon, Babe." I coaxed.

"It was Joe. He had followed me down here, and he wanted me to leave with him. At first you said no, but then Julio started arguing with you…"

I could see where this was going.

Gathering her up in my arms, I pulled her onto my lap. "Stephanie, Julio doesn't know how you ended up at RangeMan. I haven't told anyone down here the whole story. To him, the whole situation seems a little too convenient."

Stephanie nodded slowly. "I can see why he'd think that."

"Julio is an ass; I'll give you that. But he's not unreasonable. He's just trying to stick up for his little brother."

Stephanie let out a nervous giggle and glanced up at me. "There's not a whole lot about you that would qualify as _little_, Ranger."

I growled and shifted her on my lap, watching as her cheeks flamed bright red once she realized how that sounded.

"I mean…" she started. But I never let her finish. My lips landed on hers, effectively cutting off whatever she was about to say.

I pulled back and looked at her face. Her eyes were closed, her lips still puckered as if she hadn't yet realized that the kiss was over. Her eyes blinked open, and I couldn't help but smile at her slightly dazed expression.

"You OK, Babe?" I teased.

"Yes," she breathed.

I smiled. "Why don't you go take a shower, and I'll finish up with the Core Team?"

She nodded.

"Then maybe we can get brunch?" _And have a serious talk._ I added silently.

She nodded again and stood up, headed for the bathroom.

"Babe?"

She turned around. "Yeah?"

"Is it OK if I fill in the guys here? Just Julio and the Core Team?"

Immediately, her face looked worried. She tugged on the bottom of her T-shirt. "Will they think it's just an excuse?"

"An excuse for what, Babe?"

She shifted her weight nervously from one foot to the other, looking unsure. "I don't know. I just don't want them to think…" She broke off and looked at the floor.

"Hey," I whispered soothingly, walking over to her.

I wrapped my arms around her. "Forget what Julio said. He's bitter, and he's speaking from personal experience, that's all."

Stephanie drew back and searched my face, her eyebrows creased. "What do you mean personal experience?"

I shook my head. "Julio is attracted to women who are very beautiful, very shallow, and very materialistic. The women he dates want to be with him because of his money, his cars, or the restaurants he can afford."

Stephanie bit her lip. "And he thinks I'm one of those women?"

I cupped her face in my hands. "He's been through several messy, expensive divorces, Babe. His outlook is a little jaded. But, yes, he thinks you are, and he told me so in no uncertain terms yesterday when we left to go after Herrera."

Stephanie took a deep breath and nodded. "And what do you think?"

In answer, I leaned down and pulled her lower lip into my mouth, nibbling on it gently. She let out a low moan, pressing her body against mine and tangling her fingers in my hair.

Pulling back, I rested my forehead on hers. "I disagree with my brother." I answered in a low voice.

A huge smile flashed across her face when she realized that I was siding with her and not Julio. Her hands pulled on my hair, dragging my mouth back to hers.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"For what, Babe?"

"For believing in me."

I dropped a kiss on her head. "I'll always believe in you, Steph." I turned her towards the bathroom and lightly smacked her butt. "Now go get your shower."

With a squeal, she ran towards the bathroom, and I smirked as I watched her fly through the door.

I stared at the closed bathroom door for a few long minutes. Stephanie was quite possibly the most sincere person I had ever met. She was the exact opposite of the kind of girl that Julio was used to. In fact, I didn't think she had a deceitful bone in her entire body. I shook my head thinking about all that she had been through.

My mind raced back to talks my mother had had with my sisters. I'd watch them sit at the kitchen table and sob because of something that had happened at school. A so-called friend who had snubbed or insulted them, a girl who had called them a name because their boyfriend had glanced their way in the hall. My mother would listen patiently and then tell them, "This too shall pass. They're jealous, baby. Hold your head up high. Don't let them tear you down just to make themselves feel better."

I wouldn't let anyone do that to Stephanie anymore. I wouldn't let them tear her down to suit their own purposes. I felt a twinge of discomfort as a fleeting thought raced across my mind- _and that included me._ I wouldn't make Stephanie suffer for my jealousy. I wouldn't make her pay for my inability to trust. I had no reason to doubt her. I would take her at her word that she and Simms were just friends.

I took a deep breath and headed back out for a serious talk with my brother and the Miami Core Team.

**R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S **

The guys all looked up when I walked back into the dining room.

"Everything OK, Boss?" Ryan asked.

I nodded. "I think that maybe I need to explain Stephanie's situation."

The guys all sat up a little straighter, putting down the papers they had been going over, and giving me their full attention.

Narrowing my eyes, I directed them, "I'd appreciate it if the majority of this conversation did not go any further than these four walls. If any of the other guys ask, give them generic answers or direct them to me."

A flicker of surprise flashed across Jeff's face, but everyone else remained expressionless and merely inclined their head a fraction of an inch.

I grabbed my laptop and flipped it open. Typing in my password, I accessed Stephanie's files on my computer. Once they were open, I looked back up at the guys. They were still sitting motionless, waiting for me to explain the woman who was showering in my apartment.

"When I started RangeMan Trenton, I hooked up with a bail bondsman named Vincent Plum. His office manager, Connie, helped me out a lot. More than she should have really. She gave me all of the highest bonds she could, and she helped me find a few of the more difficult skips."

Julio raised an eyebrow in question, and I nodded. "She has mob ties, and she called in a few favors for me."

Zig whistled. "That's pretty serious, man."

I nodded. "Like I said, Connie helped me out a lot. Without her, I never could have raised the capital I needed to start the Trenton branch."

Ryan, Jeff, and Zig nodded their agreement, but Julio leaned forward. "So what does this Connie have to do with Stephanie? She set you guys up on a blind date or something?" He asked, confused.

I snorted. "I wish it were that simple. Like I said, Connie helped me out a lot. I owed her. I told Connie that if she ever needed a favor to call me. She's never asked for anything. Until last week."

I flipped around my laptop, showing the picture of Stephanie's face when she first arrived at the office a week ago.

The guys sucked in a collective breath.

"Fuck!" Zig muttered. "What the hell happened, man?"

I gestured to the screen. "Meet Stephanie Plum, cousin to Vincent Plum, the bail bondsman. Connie called me last week to ask me to help Stephanie. She said she was Vinnie's cousin and she was in an abusive relationship with a Trenton PD officer. No one else would go anywhere near her because of the cop. She was trapped. I told Connie to send her over. I figured I'd let her hide out in the office for a few days, give her some cash, help her buy a ticket to a friend's house out of state or something, and that would be the end of it."

The guys were riveted to the screen as I began showing them the pictures Bobby had taken of her.

"But she didn't have anywhere to go. No family or friends who were willing to help her. No cash. Nothing."

I turned the laptop back around, and their eyes snapped back up to mine.

"So I let her stay in one of the apartments in Trenton. I told her I'd help her file charges. She insisted on working to pay for the apartment and the other things that Ella had bought for her- clothes, cosmetics, toiletries. And she's a hard worker. When she has an appointment during the day with the lawyer or her therapist, she stays over an hour after her shift to make it up."

Julio looked down when I mentioned that part. Good. Asshole.

"She's totally redesigned our payroll system. I've never seen Tank smile as big as he did when he logged in the other day."

The guys smirked, imagining a grinning Tank.

"So how did she end up in Miami?" Ryan asked hesitantly.

"She's been staying with me in Trenton." I looked hard at all of them, but no one blinked. "Stephanie has horrible nightmares. She relives the abuse from her ex over and over again. For some reason, she feels safe around me, and I can calm her down. She's been staying in my apartment at night. When I told her that I was coming to Miami, we both decided that she should come along."

I looked pointedly at Julio. "And it's a good thing she did. Because she saved your ass by finding Herrera."

Julio nodded sickly, staring down at his hands.

"I don't appreciate the rumors that are flying around the building about her. And I want them to stop. Now."

The guys traded glances and then nodded.

"She and Simms have been friends since college. He is one of the few guys she feels comfortable around. I will not have her feeling self-conscious about spending time with a friend. Am I clear?"

The guys nodded again.

"Good. Dismissed."

_**TBC**_


	22. Chapter 22

_A/N: You guys have been spoiled rotten this Thanksgiving break! My writer's brain has been working overtime, and my fingers have been flying along on the keyboard just trying to keep up. I managed to add 4 chapters to this story over our break from school- Phew! Unbelievable! (Of course that means that I have completely ignored The Breakfast Club- sorry!)_

_Since I head back to 2__nd__ grade tomorrow, that means that the every day/every other day updates are going to come to a screeching halt! :( But stick in there, Babes! And maybe if you are extra naughty, Santa will bring you a few extra chapters over Christmas break! LOL!_

_Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has reviewed or sent a PM. You are all so very sweet! I appreciate the kind words so much! _

_And to stephfan6511 (Amy), thanks for proofreading for me! I loved having an extra set of eyes and some feedback before I called it done!_

**Bold from Chapter 21**

"**I don't appreciate the rumors that are flying around the building about her. And I want them to stop. Now."**

**The guys traded glances and then nodded.**

"**She and Simms have been friends since college. He is one of the few guys she feels comfortable around. I will not have her feeling self-conscious about spending time with a friend. Am I clear?"**

**The guys nodded again. **

"**Good. Dismissed."**

**Chapter 22**

**Ranger's POV**

"Julio!"

My brother turned and waited as the other guys walked out of the dining room and towards the foyer door.

"What is Ron Simms' schedule today?"

Julio frowned. "I'm not sure. I think he's on monitors for a few hours this morning before heading into the field. Why?"

"I want him in my office in fifteen minutes."

Julio raised one eyebrow. "I thought you just said that he and Stephanie were friends. That you didn't want anybody questioning that. Now you don't trust her again?"

I gave Julio a cold stare. "I trust Stephanie implicitly. It's Simms I don't trust."

Julio stared at me, challenging me to explain myself further.

I blew out an exasperated breath. "She's a beautiful girl, Julio. Smart, sweet, caring. It wouldn't surprise me at all if he were in love with her. In fact, I don't really even _care_ if he has feelings for her. As long as he doesn't plan on acting on them."

"So you're going to drag him into your office to find out his intentions towards your girlfriend?" His lips twitched. "Sounds very old-fashioned, Ranger. Next he'll need to get your permission to court her."

I balled my hands up into fists and clenched my jaw. "Shut the fuck up, asshole. Just find him and have him report to my office in fifteen minutes."

"Yes sir!" Julio gave me a smirk and a smartass salute before heading out the door.

**R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S**

Simms knocked on my open office door, waiting to be ordered in.

I glanced up. "Come in. And close the door behind you."

Simms' eyes widened slightly, but to his credit, he smoothly closed the door and took a seat across from me without hesitation.

I rested my elbows on the arms of my chair, steepling my fingers under my chin.

I was sure that Simms was probably nervous right now. He was most likely wondering if he was about to be fired, but he sat motionless, silently maintaining eye contact.

Tipping my head to the side, I finally broke the silence. "Tell me about your relationship with Stephanie."

Simms didn't appear surprised by my question. No doubt he expected that his command appearance was tied to the events of last night at least in some small way.

He cleared his throat and sat up straighter. "Steph and I have been friends since our junior year at Douglass. We've kept in touch since then, although I haven't heard from her in over a year." He looked at me pointedly. "Obviously you know why."

I nodded. "Anything else that you think I should know?"

Simms' brow creased in confusion. "I'm not sure what you mean, Sir."

I leaned forward. "You said that you and Stephanie were friends?"

He nodded, still confused.

"That's all?"

His eyebrows shot up as recognition dawned on his face. I could swear that I saw a slight smile before he cleared his throat to answer. "Despite my best efforts, yes, that's all."

Now what the hell was that supposed to mean? "Explain." I ordered.

Simms shrugged. "You have to understand the desire to be around her. She's a wonderful woman. She may be a little quieter now, but she's still the same sweet Steph. I think most of my fraternity brothers had a crush on her at one time or another."

I frowned. "And you had a crush on her as well?"

Simms swallowed hard and nodded.

"But nothing ever came of it?"

Simms shook his head in disgust. "Steph was dating a guy from home. They were pretty serious. They ended up engaged. Steph did a lot of mischievous things in college, but she never would have cheated on him. She never even flirted with another guy. I didn't stand a chance."

"Her ex-husband, Dickie Orr?" I questioned.

Simms nodded, looking only slightly surprised that I knew his name. He knew the search programs we had here. He had to have figured that I would have run Stephanie through our systems.

I folded my arms across my chest. "And what kind of relationship would you like to have with Stephanie now?"

Simms held his hands up, palms out. "I'd just like to catch up with her, stay friends."

"You have no interest in dating her?"

Simms shook his head, looking a little embarrassed. "No. Uh, in fact, I've been seeing her old college roommate on and off for the past few months."

My eyebrows shot up. "Really? Does Stephanie know about this?"

Simms cleared his throat nervously. "Well, kind of. I mentioned that Laney and I have been keeping in touch more. But it's kind of the early stages of things, so…"

I nodded. "Understood."

Simms stood up slowly. "So, we're good here?"

I stood up and held out my hand. "Yeah, we're good."

**R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S**

Steph took a sip of her Coke and looked at me nervously. "You said we needed to talk?"

"Yeah, Babe. I think we should talk about what happened last night, don't you?"

She swallowed hard and nodded.

Reaching across the table, I took her hands in mine. "Can I start?"

A look of relief crossed her face as she nodded again.

"I think I owe you an apology, Stephanie. In fact, I know I do."

She sat gaping at me. "I… I… don't understand." She stuttered.

"I jumped to conclusions last night. I didn't ask you what happened. I didn't even give you a chance to explain."

She nodded sadly.

"Remember what I told you about Julio this morning? That he was jaded because of his past?"

Steph nodded.

"Well, I guess I am, too. I've been with a lot of women in my time, but I've only ever had a few relationships. The most serious one was while I was still enlisted. I thought I was in love. I had bought her an engagement ring, and I planned on proposing to her when I got back from my tour of duty."

Steph bit her lip. "What happened?" she asked quietly.

I let out a dry laugh. "I got home sooner than she expected me to. I found her in our bed with another guy."

Steph's hands flew to her mouth. "Oh no, Ranger! I'm so sorry! That had to be a horrible way to come home!"

I grimaced. "Yeah, it was. I turned around and left, signed up for another tour and left again as soon as I could. At the time, I practically swore off having any kind of relationship ever again."

She tipped her head. "Have you dated anyone since then?"

I shook my head. "Nope. And I didn't have any plans to change my single status. Until about a week ago."

Her eyes widened in understanding, and she looked down at the table. "So when you walked in last night, you thought it was the same thing all over again?"

I nodded. "So, would you like to tell me what I walked in on last night between you and Simms?"

Stephanie shook her head, a smile small playing around her lips. "He was just torturing me about something that happened in college. It's been kind of an inside joke with us for years."

She looked up, and I raised an eyebrow at her in question. "What's that, Babe?"

A surprised look flitted across her face. "You really want to know the story?"

I reached across the table and put my hand over hers. "Why wouldn't I?"

She shrugged, still looking surprised. "I don't know. I guess I'm just not used to a guy who is actually interested in hearing stories about me."

I mentally grimaced at her honesty. How had a girl like this not been snapped up by a halfway decent guy by now?

I rubbed her hand. "Well, I'm interested, Babe. What happened in college?"

A big grin spread across her face. "Were you ever in a fraternity, Ranger?"

I snorted. "No. I spent a few years at college, but it wasn't for me. I joined the Army after two years at Rutgers."

She nodded thoughtfully. "OK. Well, imagine Pledge Week as a kind of Basic Training."

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Really, Steph?" I commented dryly.

She snickered. "OK, OK. Maybe Basic Training isn't as bad as Pledge Week."

I let out a bark of laughter. I liked this confident, self-assured Stephanie.

"Anyway," she continued with a grin. "Laney and I were in a sorority together. During Pledge Week, the active members kind of 'adopt' one of the pledges. That girl is their Little Sister or Little. During Pledge Week, you help them out, give them a shoulder to cry on, whatever they need. My junior year, Laney and I both had Littles. Sarah and Liz."

She shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. "I love Sarah to death, I really do, but that girl is as dippy as the day is long."

"Dippy?" I smirked.

Steph waved her hand around. "You know, flaky, airheaded."

With a roll of her eyes, she continued. "That girl just about drove me crazy during Pledge Week. She got into a fight with her roommate and ended up dragging her mattress across campus to put it on my dorm room floor. Then she used the wrong colors on her paddle, and I had to repaint the whole thing while she was at pledge class. But the topper was her pledge book."

She looked up to see if I was still listening, and I gave her hand a small squeeze.

"Every pledge has to make a pledge book. It's basically just a steno book on a piece of yarn. It has all of the sorority history written in it, interviews with the active members, sorority songs, all kinds of stuff. They wear it around their neck all week, and they have to present it to the Pledge Mistress for inspection every day. My Little and Laney's Little decided that the yarn was bothering them. So instead of wearing them like they were supposed to, they just carried them around."

Stephanie grinned. "Well, that was just too tempting for Simms and his frat buddies. They followed the girls after class one day, dumped their books out of their hands, and stole their pledge books."

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Did you get them back?"

She snorted. "Oh yeah. Simms called me and Laney as soon as he got back to his dorm, bragging about how he had their pledge books. It wasn't the first time one had been stolen, and we knew the drill. We asked him what he wanted for them."

I smirked. "You're not supposed to negotiate with terrorists, Babe."

She laughed. "Well, the terrorists got the worse end of that negotiation, that's for sure."

"Oh yeah?" I asked, intrigued.

"Yeah. He said that his frat wanted brownies, so I drove the girls to Wal-Mart to get a brownie mix."

She got an evil gleam in her eye. "And they also picked up a few boxes of chocolate-flavored Ex-Lax."

I let out a surprised bark of laughter. "That's cold, Babe!"

She shrugged. "It was the pledges' idea. And they were the victims. Laney and I figured it served them right!"

"Anyhow," she continued, "we got back to the dorms and the girls made up the brownies. We called Simms when they were done, and Laney and I walked the girls over to the frat's block of rooms to trade them for the pledge books."

She stopped, and I gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "So did the guys notice that the brownies had an extra ingredient?"

Stephanie started laughing so hard that she could barely answer me. "Simms called, moaning, about two hours later wanting to know what was in the brownies. We thought they were going to share them with the entire frat, but Simms and his buddy had eaten the whole 9 by 13 pan themselves. They had spent an hour straight on the toilet with cramps."

Wiping tears from her eyes, she continued. "Halfway through the phone call, Simms started groaning, and then he was gone. One of the other guys got on the phone and told us that he had to run for the bathroom again."

I smirked. "That's pretty evil, Babe."

She smiled and shrugged. "Served him right for stealing our girls' pledge books!"

"So how long did it take Simms to recover?"

"He was eating by lunch the next day, although every once in a while he'd complain of stomach pain."

"So Simms is still mad about the laxatives, huh?"

Stephanie smiled. "Laney and I have denied knowing anything about it ever since it happened, and Simms has never believed us. He was trying to tickle the truth out of me last night when you and Julio walked in." Her smile faltered for just a second as she stared at me.

I smiled back at her. "So did he break you? Make you talk?"

She gave me a relieved smile, clearly thankful that I wasn't still upset with her. "Nope."

I picked her hand up and kissed her fingers. "Proud of you, Babe." I whispered.

_**TBC**_


	23. Chapter 23

_A/N: Thanks again for all of the encouragement, Babes! ;) A few people have suggested putting in Christmas movies all day at school so that I could keep writing, and while my 2nd graders would probably be A-OK with that, I can't see my principal getting on board! LOL! _

_Instead, I'm writing while they are down in the gym with the Music teacher rehearsing for their Christmas program. Fun times. Fun times. :)_

**Bold from Chapter 22**

"**So Simms is still mad about the laxatives, huh?"**

**Stephanie smiled. "Laney and I have denied knowing anything about it ever since it happened, and Simms has never believed us. He was trying to tickle the truth out of me last night when you and Julio walked in." Her smile faltered for just a second as she stared at me.**

**I smiled back at her. "So did he break you? Make you talk?"**

**She gave me a relieved smile, clearly thankful that I wasn't still upset with her. "Nope."**

**I picked her hand up and kissed her fingers. "Proud of you, Babe." I whispered.**

**Chapter 23**

**Ranger's POV**

After brunch, Stephanie headed into my office to work on some data entry for the Trenton branch, and I headed into a meeting with Julio. Herrera had been captured in record time, and I had been planning on returning to Trenton ahead of schedule. When Julio heard that, he panicked, saying that there were several other skips they could use advice on. We had gone over most of the files this morning at the Core Team meeting, but Julio still had one large outstanding bond that he wanted help with.

I sat down at the conference table and nodded at Ryan, Jeff, and Zig. This was Julio's meeting, and I was going to let him run it.

Julio stood and handed each of us a picture. "This is Doug Newton. He's wanted for the attempted murder of his business partner. The two of them were involved in some shady business deals, things went bad, and the money dried up. Doug evidently didn't want to split what was left. He decided to get rid of his partner so that he could keep 100% of their illegal profits."

Julio held up a picture of a horribly disfigured man. Because of the scarring on his face, it was hard to determine his age, but I was guessing late 40s, early 50s.

"This is Doug Newton's partner, George Getz. Doug stopped by George's condo for drinks one night. From the toxicology reports, the police have determined that Doug slipped some heavy duty pills into George's drinks. Once he was passed out on the couch, Doug lit one of George's cigarettes and dropped it on the floor. He made it look like George had overdosed on pain meds and fallen asleep while smoking a cigarette."

That explained the horrible scarring on George's face. Burns were terribly disfiguring and destructive. The tissue never really regenerated correctly, and even skin grafts didn't always take right or match the skin around them.

Julio continued, "Once Doug had set the condo on fire, he left. George would be dead if it weren't for the little boy who lives across the street from him."

I raised in eyebrow in interest.

"The little boy's room is in the front of the house. He was playing in his bedroom and happened to look out the window. He saw the flames in George's living room and ran downstairs. He begged his father to go across the street and check on Mr. Getz. Once the dad got outside, he could see the flames also. He broke out George's living room window, climbed inside, and carried him out to the front yard. They called 911 and were able to get Getz to the hospital's burn unit in record time. According to the nurses, if George had been in the fire for even 5 minutes longer, he most likely wouldn't have survived."

Jeff shook his head. "The smoke definitely would have done him in by then."

Zig cleared his throat. "How can they tie Doug to that? How do they know that Getz _didn't_ overdose on pain meds and fall asleep while smoking?"

Julio picked up another picture. This one was grainy and looked like it had been pulled from a security camera. "The condo association just put in new cameras at the front gate. They show Doug pulling out about a minute before the neighbors broke into Getz's condo. Even if Getz _did_ take the pills himself and fall asleep, Doug would have been leaving a burning building. They built the case from the time stamp on the camera and the time stamp on the 911 call."

I looked up at Julio. "How is George now?"

Julio smirked. "In rough shape but willing to testify. He wants Doug locked away for life."

I frowned as I looked at the picture of Doug. "Do you have any ideas for apprehension?"

Julio nodded. "He's supposed to be at The Cube tonight. I called Maria, and she's willing to do a distraction for us."

I shrugged. "Then what do you need me for? It sounds like you've got it handled."

Julio frowned. "Doug is dangerous. The only way that Maria would do the distraction was if I promised her that we would double up on the security tonight."

I leaned back in my chair, my hands behind my head and sighed in frustration. "I wanted to get an early start tomorrow, head back to Trenton. I don't want to be out at a club until 0400."

Julio nodded. "I understand. Hopefully we'll have everything wrapped up by then. As soon as we have Newton in custody, you can leave. We'll take care of the booking and paperwork."

I shook my head. That would probably still keep me out until 0200 or 0300. I pinned Julio with a stare.

He swallowed hard and nodded, knowing that he was going to owe me for this. Big time.

I walked out of the conference room and down to my office. Stephanie was typing away on the laptop, her forehead wrinkled, and her bottom lip between her teeth.

"Workin' hard, Babe?" I asked from the doorway.

She jumped at the sound of my voice. "Ranger! Geesh! Make some noise, would ya?"

I smirked. "I'm just naturally stealthy, Babe. What can I say?"

She narrowed her eyes. "I'm going to buy you a big cowbell to wear around your neck. I hate it when people sneak up on me."

I reached over and tugged on her hand. "Close out of your programs, and let's head up to the apartment."

She nodded and shut down the laptop. "Sounds good to me. The table Les wants me to create is driving me crazy!"

We rode up to the apartment in a comfortable silence. Once inside, Steph headed for the kitchen. "Want a water?" she called from behind the open fridge door.

"Sure." I walked in behind her and accepted the bottle she handed me.

Taking a drink, I asked, "Would you like to go out for dinner tonight, Babe?"

Stephanie's eyes lit up. "Really?"

I shrugged. "Sure. Why not? We haven't really done anything except work since we got down here. It'll be nice to relax a little."

She gave me a sad smile. "It's just been a long time since I've been out for dinner. Joe expected me to cook every night. Sometimes I could get away with take out, but that was about it."

I shook my head. Morelli was such an ass. Stephanie was a beautiful girl. What man in their right mind wouldn't want to be seen out with her?

"There's a great Cuban place downtown. The food there is delicious. Would you be up for trying it?"

Stephanie shrugged and gave me a broad smile. "I've never tried Cuban food before, but I'm willing to try just about anything once!"

I smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "You'll love it, Steph."

She looked up at me. "I borrowed a couple of movies off of Simms this afternoon. I thought maybe after dinner we could watch one?"

I shook my head slowly. "I'm not sure, Babe. Julio has a skip that he needs help bringing in tonight. I'm probably going to end up at a dance club for a while tonight. I'm just waiting for him to tell me what time."

"You're going out clubbing?" Stephanie asked, her expression almost wistful.

I raised an eyebrow at her. "You like clubs, Babe?"

She nodded. "Well, I used to."

I studied her face, and I knew I was in serious trouble. It was official. I was falling in love with Stephanie Plum. It was the only possible explanation.

For the first time ever I was actually considering ignoring what was the safest protocol and doing something that I knew was monumentally stupid. If one of my men asked to bring a date on a takedown, I would order them to the mats. Yet my brain was already working overtime, trying to figure out a way to take her to the club, ensure her safety, and still accomplish the takedown.

I slid my arms around her waist, pulling her against me. "You wanna come with us, Babe?" I whispered.

She shrieked, throwing her arms around my neck.

I pulled back and looked at her. "That's a yes, then?" I asked dryly.

"Yes!" She screamed, jumping up and down. "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!"

Suddenly she stopped and looked at me, horrified.

What could possibly have caused her mood to change so rapidly? I raised an eyebrow at her in question.

"I don't have anything to wear!" she moaned.

I shrugged. "So go get something. Or Rosalinda can pick up something for you."

She made a face at me. "You can't buy a clubbing outfit for someone else! You have to try it on and make sure it fits right!"

I shook my head, smiling. "So go shopping, Babe."

She looked at me pointedly. "With what car? And what money?" She held up a hand before I could answer. "And don't say that you'll just add it to my tab."

"Fine. I won't add it to your tab. I'll just buy it for you." I smirked, handing her my black American Express card.

"Raaaannnnnnnggggggeeeeer!" she wailed.

My lips twitched. "Pretty impressive, Babe. I haven't heard whining like that since the last time I saw my nieces and nephews."

She stuck her tongue out at me, and I pulled her closer. Nuzzling her hair, I asked huskily, "Would you do me a favor, Babe?"

She moaned and pressed herself against me, nodding.

"I need you to pick something up for me at the mall." I continued, brushing my lips across her neck.

"What?" she asked huskily.

"Something short and sexy." I whispered, pressing a kiss behind her ear.

"What color?" she choked out.

"Red." I tugged on her earlobe with my teeth.

"But I don't know what size you wear!" she whispered breathily.

I shook my head as she dissolved into a fit of giggles.

Throwing her over my shoulder, I headed for the bedroom. 

"What are you doing?" she shrieked.

"I'm going to let you take my measurements, Babe. All of them."

"Fuck!" she whispered.

_**TBC**_


	24. Chapter 24

_A/N: I just got back from a trip to New York with my bestie for a girls' weekend! Yippee! It was sooooooo much fun! We saw all the famous NYC landmarks! The Statue of Liberty? The Empire State Building? Um, no. Tiffany's, Bloomingdale's, Macy's… LOL! ;)_

_We also saw the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, the Rockettes, ice skated at Rockefeller Center (without falling even once, which is practically a Christmas miracle!), took a carriage ride around Central Park, shopped, saw Wicked (my favorite musical ever!), and Ground Zero. Phew! We were busy, busy girls, but we had lots of fun!_

_But now it's time to come home and get back to work (and writing fanfic!) ;) Enjoy, Babes, and let me know what you think, please!_

**Bold from Chapter 23**

**Throwing her over my shoulder, I headed for the bedroom.  
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"**What are you doing?" she shrieked.**

"**I'm going to let you take my measurements, Babe. All of them."**

"**Fuck!" she whispered. **

**Chapter 24**

**Ranger's POV**

I slowly pulled Stephanie off of my shoulder, letting her slide down over my chest. Her thighs brushed against my rock hard erection, and I threw my head back, letting out a deep groan.

She melted into me, her breath catching in her throat, and I gently pushed her backwards, walking her towards the bed.

I felt her legs hit the mattress, and I gave her a gentle nudge, making her fall back and hit the sheets. I crawled over top of her and wrapped my arms around her waist. My lips explored her neck as I carefully moved us higher on the bed.

Her crazy curls were all over my pillow, her gorgeous lips open and panting. I wanted nothing more than to rip all of her clothes off and make her scream my name.

I captured her mouth with mine, and my heart started beating double time when Stephanie slid her tongue past my lips. Pulling back, I looked down at her face. Her eyes were wide and slightly panicky looking, and my heart immediately sank.

We were moving too fast. It was too much.

I gently cupped her face with my hands. "Are you alright, Steph? Do you want to stop?"

She blinked and looked at me like I was crazy. "Why would I want to stop?" she asked, confused.

I brushed my thumbs across her cheeks. "You looked a little scared, Babe. Nervous."

Her cheeks reddened just slightly. "I am." She whispered.

I kissed her forehead. "I promise that I would never hurt you, Stephanie. And I would never pressure you to do something that you don't want."

She nodded. "I know. I'm not nervous about sleeping with you, Ranger."

Now it was my turn to be confused. "Then why _are_ you nervous?"

Her eyes got shiny before she closed them. Tears?

I lay down beside her and drew her against my chest. Rubbing her back, I whispered softly, "Stephanie, please tell me what's wrong. I can't help you if you don't let me know what it is."

Her hands fisted in my shirt before she finally took a shuddering breath and looked up at me. "I'm just feeling… It's just…"

I rubbed her back. "What are you feeling, Babe?"

She chewed anxiously on her lower lip. "I don't know." She whispered. "I just know that it's intense. And I've never felt like this before."

Startled, I looked carefully at her face. "What do you mean?"

She turned her head. "I know we said we'd go slow, Ranger, but I don't know if I _can_. I think it's too late. And I'm afraid that if we sleep together…" her voice caught, and she stopped.

"If we sleep together, what?" I prompted.

"That I won't be able to stop myself from falling hopelessly in love with you." She whispered.

"And you're afraid that I don't feel the same way?" I clarified.

She nodded wordlessly.

"You're wrong." I captured her lips in a deep, insistent kiss.

Stephanie drew back with a gasp. "I'm wrong?"

"Very, very wrong, Babe. I'm pretty sure that I'm falling in love with you, too. And there's nothing I can do about it."

She studied my face for a long minute as if she were trying to decide whether or not I really meant what I was saying.

Finally she spoke. "I don't do casual sex, Ranger. I've only ever been with two other guys. My ex-husband. And Joe. If we do this, and you walk away…" Her voice broke off.

I buried my hands in her hair, staring deeply into her eyes. "I would never walk away, Babe. If we do this, I'm all in."

She took a deep breath and nodded. A small smile crept across her face. "I think you've been a bad influence on me."

My eyebrow quirked up. "How's that?"

"I've never negotiated for sex before."

I let out a bark of laughter. "Are you saying the moment has passed?"

She smiled. "No. But maybe we _should_ wait. I still have to go shopping. And you promised me dinner out before the club. That doesn't give us much time."

I shook my head regretfully. "No, it doesn't."

Standing up, I held out a hand to her and pulled her up and off of the bed. Her cheeks were pink; her eyes were a sparkling blue; and I couldn't resist one last kiss.

**R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S**

Rosalinda had been more than agreeable to taking Stephanie shopping. She had been trying to set me up with women for the past five years or more, so she was ecstatic to see me finally taking an interest in someone. Plus, she enjoyed the excuse to get out of the building and into the mall. Rosalinda was definitely a shopper. Every time I turned around there was a new decoration in my apartment down here.

I shook my head. I just hoped that she didn't give Steph a hard time. I didn't want her to be grilled over our relationship. And after the way that Julio had treated her, I didn't want her to think that anyone else suspected her of having ulterior motives or a hidden agenda.

I sighed and sat down at my desk. Now that Stephanie was going with us, I needed to make a few changes to the plan for tonight. First of all, I needed to find a bodyguard for her.

As much as I would like to, I couldn't be by her side all night tonight. Julio and I looked very similar, and Doug knew that Julio was looking for him. He may recognize me, and I couldn't put Stephanie in that kind of danger all night long.

I leaned back in my chair. There was really only one person that I trusted to keep her safe. Simms. He was the only one down here who cared about her, the only one who had a history with her. The other guys would do their best to protect her, but it wouldn't be the same. I wanted her to have fun tonight. She deserved it after everything that had happened.

I frowned and reached for my phone. Simms had guaranteed that he didn't still have feelings for Steph, and that had better be true. Because I hated to think what would happen if he tried something.

**R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S**

I stood against the wall with Ryan, nursing a watered down drink and scanning the crowd. Doug had arrived alone about five minutes ago, and so far he was still alone at the bar.

I heard Julio in my earpiece, "Ranger, check in."

I held my drink up to cover my mouth and quietly answered him. "Check."

I listened as all of the other guys checked in one by one. Everyone was in position and ready.

"Maria, you're a go."

Maria sashayed up to the bar a few stools down from Doug. She eyed him appreciatively and then gave the bartender her order. The bartender, one of our guys, nodded and promptly gave her a watered down drink that was supposed to be a 7 and 7.

Playing with her glass, Maria leaned her back against the bar and pretended to be checking out the crowd. She stared at a few of our guys, winking at them, and generally establishing the image of a shallow bar hopper who was up for a fun time tonight.

Her eyes landed back on Doug, and she found him looking back at her. Giving him a sexy grin with lowered lashes, she slid down the bar closer to him.

He smiled charmingly back at her. "What's your name, beautiful?"

Maria tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Isabel."

Doug clinked her glass with his and took a long drink.

Following his lead, Maria emptied her own glass.

"Can I buy you another?" he offered.

"Sure."

He motioned our bartender over and asked for another round for each of them. The bartender nodded and returned with another virgin drink for Maria and one that was extra strong for Doug.

I listened as Maria chatted him up, casually leaning against him or touching him lightly with her hand.

About ten minutes after Maria had moved next to Doug, I heard a commotion in my earpiece.

"Holy shit!"

"Fuck!"

"Who the hell is he with?"

One of the guys let out a wolf whistle, and Julio finally stepped in.

"Enough! We are here to do a job. Quit staring at short skirts and focus!"

I raised an eyebrow and casually looked around, trying to determine the cause of the disturbance. Stephanie. I froze and all of the blood in my body rushed straight to my groin.

She had taken me at my word and bought something short, sexy, and red.

"Holy fuck!" I muttered under my breath.

The snickering I heard through the earpiece let me know that my voice hadn't been quite as quiet as I thought it had been.

I glanced back at Stephanie, along with every other guy in the bar. Her dress was red sequined and skin tight. It stopped mid thigh, but she was wearing what had to be four inch spike heels that made her legs look a mile long. The top of the dress had spaghetti straps but was covered just slightly by a sheer red fabric that bloused out to her waist.

She looked hot; there was no doubt about it. But that was something that I wanted her to wear for me. Not every other guy in this bar.

Simms wrapped an arm around Stephanie's shoulders and steered her towards the bar. They chatted up the bartender, and he gave them both a drink.

In my ear, I could hear Maria trying her best to get Doug's attention, but he just wasn't interested. He had been watching Stephanie since she had walked up to the bar to get a drink.

Seeing that she was losing Doug's interest, Maria excused herself to use the bathroom and regroup. As she headed away from Doug, she and Julio began hatching out another plan. Frank would come up to Maria and be overly aggressive, giving Doug a chance to play the rescuer. It was a plan that had worked on numerous guys before, and we were hoping that tonight was no exception.

Maria stayed out of Doug's sight for about ten minutes and then walked back over towards him. Frank followed. When they were close enough to the bar, he grabbed Maria's hand and pulled her towards him. She glared at him and pulled her hand away, stomping over towards the bar.

Doug looked up in interest, obviously curious what all of the fuss was about.

Frank stalked over. "I said we're leaving!"

Maria put her hand on her hip. "And I said I'm not!"

Frank reached out and grabbed Maria's shoulder, but she wriggled loose and cuddled up next to Doug.

Doug stood up, his chest puffed out. "What's going on here?" he demanded.

Frank rolled his eyes. "This is none of your concern, buddy. This is between me and her."

Doug crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, the lady clearly doesn't want anything to do with you right now, so I'd suggest you take a hike."

Frank snorted. "She's no lady. I assure you. And this is none of your business." He looked back up at Maria. "Let's go. Now."

Maria shook her head, and Doug stepped in front of her. "You need to leave her alone before I _make_ you leave her alone."

Frank raised a cocky eyebrow at him. "You wanna take this outside?"

I smiled. If Maria couldn't get him to walk out, maybe Frank could.

Doug rolled his eyes. "You're not worth my time."

He grabbed Maria's hand and pulled her onto the dance floor and away from Frank.

Frank stood by the bar staring at them, unsure of what to do next.

Julio came through the earpiece. "Just hold for now, Frank. If we push too much, there's going to end up being a scene. That may have been enough to get his focus back on Maria."

"Check." Frank mumbled his understanding and sat down at the bar. He played with a bottle of beer, lifting it to his lips as if he were drinking it. He scanned the dance floor and occasionally glared in Doug's direction as if he were an angry ex-boyfriend.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Stephanie and Simms head to the dance floor as well. I inched my way towards them, determined to get in at least a few dances with her before the night was out.

Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes bright and wide. She and Simms started dancing as if they'd done this numerous times before. And, I realized, they probably had. The two of them _had _been friends in college, after all. This was probably how they had spent most of their weekends.

Stephanie whipped her head from side to side, her curly hair flying out around her. Simms grinned and spun her around so that they were facing each other.

I was making my way through the crowd when I heard Maria's voice in my ear. She was trying to get Doug to take a break and head back over to the bar.

"Go ahead. I'll be right behind you." He answered.

Maria turned and started weaving her way off of the dance floor with Doug right behind her. Just feet before the very edge, Maria passed by Stephanie and Simms.

Maria kept walking, but Doug stopped. He moved behind Stephanie and began dancing.

I felt my stomach turn over. I wanted to run over to her and yank her away from him, but I couldn't do it without drawing attention to myself and blowing the whole operation.

"Is Simms wired?" I questioned.

"Negative." Came Julio's frustrated voice. "I wasn't aware that you were bringing company, and I didn't have any extra wires."

Fuck.

Doug leaned in and said something close to Stephanie's ear, but since none of them were wired, I had no idea what it was. Steph jumped, obviously surprised to have a stranger leaning in and talking to her.

She hadn't seen the file on Doug, so she would have no way of knowing that this was the guy we were here to apprehend. I tried to read her face to see if she was afraid of him, but she just mostly looked confused.

Simms, on the other hand, had seen the file and was well aware of the fact that this was our mark. He casually wrapped an arm around Steph's waist and pulled her back against his chest. To anyone else, it would look like he was being an affectionate boyfriend, but I knew it was a protective gesture. At least it had better be.

Maria's voice came over the wires. "This is the second time tonight he's been stuck on that girl. What's the deal?"

Julio's sarcastic voice came over the wire. "That's Ranger's date to the party tonight. Ask him."

Maria made a disgusted sound. "What the fuck, Ranger?"

I shook my head, my eyes never moving from Stephanie. Doug was still talking to her, trying to get her to dance with him.

Steph was unsure, staying wrapped up in Simms' arms, which was right where I wanted her for now.

"Let it go, Maria!" I barked.

"How the hell am I supposed to let it go? Thanks to your little girlfriend, I can't get the guy out of the bar! Maybe you need to have _her_ walk him out!"

"Absolutely not." I answered calmly.

Julio's voice came out loud and clear. "Actually, Ranger…"

"No." This time I answered louder and firmer.

"Come on, man!" Julio wheedled. "Tonight's the night. We've got to get him, and you can see for yourself which girl he's more interested in!"

"I'd like to be offended, but he's absolutely right." Maria chimed in. "I can't very well drag the guy out by his tie, now can I?"

I scrubbed my hand over my face. Was I actually considering asking Stephanie to do this?

"I'll ask her, but if she says no, the answer is no. I'll walk her out of here, and Maria can try again."

Julio and Maria reluctantly agreed, and I headed towards Simms. Keeping myself as hidden as possible, I bumped into him and muttered, "Bathroom. You and Steph. Now."

Simms looked shocked for just a minute before he nodded his understanding.

I made my way back to the bathrooms and waited for them there. As I watched the two of them make their way towards me, I began to worry. And I am not a worrier.

I was asking Stephanie, a girl I was pretty sure I was in love with, to flirt with a homicidal arsonist. What could possibly go wrong?

_**TBC**_


	25. Chapter 25

_A/N: I apologize for the delay! We've been passing the stomach flu around our house- bleh! Hopefully you all had a very Merry Christmas! Many blessings to you and yours for a wonderful 2013! :)_

**Bold from Chapter 24**

**Ranger's POV**

**Doug leaned in and said something close to Stephanie's ear, but since none of them were wired, I had no idea what it was. Steph jumped, obviously surprised to have a stranger leaning in and talking to her. **

**She hadn't seen the file on Doug, so she would have no way of knowing that this was the guy we were here to apprehend. I tried to read her face to see if she was afraid of him, but she just mostly looked confused. **

**Simms, on the other hand, had seen the file and was well aware of the fact that this was our mark. He casually wrapped an arm around Steph's waist and pulled her back against his chest. To anyone else, it would look like he was being an affectionate boyfriend, but I knew it was a protective gesture. At least it had better be.**

**Chapter 25**

**Steph's POV**

"I can make you forget all about the guy you're with, beautiful. In fact, I can make him disappear if you want." I jumped and turned around, looking to see who was whispering inappropriate nothings in my ear.

The guy who grinned down at me looked normal enough. He was handsome, his blond hair carefully messed to look casual and his designer shirt unbuttoned at the top.

I was used to guys coming up to me at clubs and dancing with me or hitting on me. That's what clubs were made for- picking up a partner for the night. And while I don't think I'm the next big supermodel, I'm not a dog either. I can fill out a dress and work a pair of heels just as well as the next Jersey girl!

So I wasn't exactly surprised when a guy came up behind me on the dance floor and whispered something sexual in my ear. In college, I would have just rolled my eyes and either danced with him or blown him off.

It was the tone of his voice. The slightly wild look in his eyes. Was he on something? I instinctively backed up towards Simms, relieved when he wrapped an arm around my waist.

The blond guy kept talking, asking if I wanted to dance or grab a drink from the bar. I eyed him warily. I was here to have a good time, but this guy seemed "off" somehow.

Simms leaned down and whispered in my ear, "Nod. Shake your head up and down."

I gave him a confused look but did as he asked.

Looking over at the blond guy, he said apologetically, "Sorry, man. Time to take a hike back to the bathrooms. Maybe we'll catch up with you later tonight."

The guy frowned but nodded, walking towards the bar, and Simms steered me back towards the bathrooms.

I grabbed his arm. "What is going on?" I hissed.

Simms played with my hair, his lips lingering near my ear. "Hang on a few minutes, and I'll tell you."

He moved us through a large crowd of people and then leaned down again. "Ranger is here. He wants us to meet him back by the bathrooms."

My eyebrows flew up in surprise. Of course I knew that Ranger was there somewhere, but I hadn't seen him yet. It sounded like Simms had, though, and that made me curious.

"Why didn't he just meet us out on the dance floor?" I questioned.

"The blond guy is our mark for tonight, our skip. He couldn't take the chance of him recognizing one of our team."

I swallowed hard, feeling slightly panicky. "That guy is a criminal?"

Simms nodded. "Yeah. And a pretty bad one, too."

I fell silent, letting Simms guide me to the back of the building. Ranger was lounging against the wall. Dressed all in black and radiating an image of danger, he looked like a criminal himself.

He nodded at Simms and then turned to look at me. Taking a breath, he reached out a hand. "Babe, I have a favor to ask."

My head tipped to the side. "A favor?"

He nodded. "The guy you were talking with on the dance floor is Doug Newton, our skip. We need to get him out of the club." He paused, looking at me.

I shrugged and lifted my hands, palms up. "I don't know how you think I can help you with that, Ranger. You guys are the martial arts experts, not me. There's no way I could drag a guy like that out of here."

Ranger's lips twitched. "I wouldn't expect you to, Babe. No, I need you to do what we call a distraction."

"A distraction?" I repeated.

He nodded again. "We send a woman in to flirt with the guy and get him to leave with her. When they hit the parking lot, we snag the guy."

I looked at him skeptically. "You want me to try to flirt with him?"

He nodded wordlessly.

I frowned. "I don't know, Ranger. I mean, there are a lot of other girls here, and…"

He reached out a hand and rubbed it up and down my arm. "If you're not comfortable doing this, Stephanie, just say so, but I think you can."

I shook my head and raised my eyebrows at him doubtfully.

Ranger gave me an almost smile. "You see the girl over by the bar? The one with the dark hair and black dress?"

"Yeah?"

"She was supposed to do the distraction tonight."

Now I was really confused. "But she can't?"

Ranger smiled and shook his head. "No, she can't."

"Why not?"

"Because our skip has been interested in someone else all night long."

He looked at me pointedly, and his words sunk in. Me? The skip was interested in me?

My eyes grew wide as I stared back at him. "Me?" I squeaked.

He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me against his chest. His lips skimmed my neck and settled on the shell of my ear.

"Yeah, Babe. You."

I bit my lip and fisted my hands in the front of his shirt. "It must be the dress." I whispered.

"It _is_ a nice dress." He replied huskily.

"Just nice?" I teased.

"Very, very nice." His teeth gave my earlobe a gentle tug, and I let out a gasp.

Smirking, Ranger leaned back. "So what do you think? You think you can get Newton to leave with you?"

I blinked to clear the fog from my brain. "I can try." I managed.

Ranger kissed the top of my head. "There's my girl!"

**Ranger's POV**

After Julio delivered a wire from one of his team, I pinned Stephanie's back to the wall and positioned the transmitter. With my mouth on her neck and my hands exploring under the top of her dress, it would look like a hot make out session to the rest of the club. From Stephanie's moans and wiggles, I was guessing that she was enjoying having my hands on her chest as much as I was.

Pinching her nipple hard one last time, I flipped on the wire.

"Go get him, tiger!" I whispered before disappearing back into the crowd.

I watched as Stephanie shook her head, took a deep breath, and smoothed out her ridiculously short skirt. Squaring her shoulders in a sign of determination, she grabbed Simms' hand and led him towards the bar.

"How are we gonna play this?" Simms asked in a low voice.

Steph answered in an unsure voice. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that Newton thinks the two of us are a couple. How are we gonna get him to believe that you're really interested in him and that I'm out of the picture?"

"Oh."

Stephanie stopped walking, causing Simms to run into her. "I didn't realize we had to come up with a script and everything!" she panicked.

Simms laughed. "Not a script. We'll wing that part. But we need some kind of an idea."

They were both silent for a minute before Simms spoke up again. "What if you flirt with him a little, and I get jealous. I'll give you an ultimatum like it's me or him."

Stephanie broke in. "And I can say that I don't like how controlling you always are, so I choose him?"

Simms shrugged. "Yeah, something like that. Sound good?"

Stephanie took a deep breath. "I guess we'll find out!"

They headed back over towards the bar, and Steph giggled and gave Newton a little finger wave when she walked past him. Sure enough, he followed the two of them to the other end of the bar.

He sidled up next to Stephanie and leaned down close to her ear. "So did you think about my offer to make your date disappear?"

Stephanie flinched slightly at his words, and I balled my hands up into fists. She recovered quickly, running her hands up and down her arms as if she had the chills.

Doug smiled. "Cold, honey?"

Steph nodded wordlessly.

"Let me get you a drink that'll warm you up." He motioned for the bartender and ordered two shots of tequila.

Our guy, Brian, promptly returned with two shots and two lime wedges and sat them in front of Doug.

Simms frowned. "I think you've had enough, Steph."

Stephanie stuck her hands on her hips. "What are you, my mother?"

Simms leaned in closer. "No, but I don't want to see you drunk off of your ass either. You've already had two drinks since we got here. You know that's your limit."

I raised an eyebrow. Stephanie had had a glass of wine with me at dinner. If she'd had two drinks with Simms, he was right. She was already past her limit.

"I'm a big girl, Ron. I can take care of myself." She replied in a snotty voice.

Doug slid a lime and one glass over to Steph. He winked at her as he grabbed her hand and the salt shaker.

My jaw clenched as I watched him lick her hand and shake the salt on it before doing the same thing on the back of his own hand.

Simms frowned. "This is really stupid, Stephanie. I'm not going to stand around here and watch you drink with another guy all night."

Stephanie picked up her glass and lime. "Who asked you to stay? Go if you want to!"

Doug grabbed his lime in one hand and his shot of tequila in the other.

"Ready, darlin'?" he gave Steph a charming grin.

Steph's voice sounded a little panicky. "We're racing?"

He chuckled. "Oh yeah. I already have my prize picked out for when I win."

"What's that?" she asked nervously.

"A kiss from the lovely lady sitting next to me."

Simms made a frustrated noise and banged his fist on the bar.

I slid further along the wall so that I could see Stephanie's face more clearly. She grabbed her glass and lime wedge determinedly. "Go!" she yelled.

They both licked the salt off of their hands and shot the tequila. Steph crammed the wedge in her mouth just a fraction of a second before Doug, her face making a disgusted expression as she slammed the glass down on the bar.

Doug took the lime out of his mouth and looked over at her, disappointed. "Double or nothing."

Steph shook her head. "I don't know. Ron's right. I'm not really a big drinker, and I've already had a few tonight. I should probably quit at the one shot."

Doug smirked. "You're gonna let him tell you what to do? Come, baby. One more."

He motioned for Brian. "Another round. In fact, set us each up with three."

Brian returned with six more shots of tequila and a bowl of limes.

Simms stuck his finger in Stephanie's face. "You're done. Let's go."

Stephanie stood up on wobbly legs. "Fuck you, asshole! You're not the boss of me!"

Simms snorted. "Real mature, Steph! I'm not the boss of you! You're already drunk. Let's go."

Stephanie swayed a little. "I'm not ready to leave yet!"

"Yes, you are!"

"No, I'm not!"

Simms fisted his hands at his sides. "I refuse to stand here and watch you do this. I'm leaving. Right now. Are you coming with me or not?"

Stephanie grabbed a shot glass defiantly. "Not!"

Simms waved his hand in frustration. "Fine! But don't expect me to come and bail your ass out of jail again!" And with that parting comment, he stormed off into the crowd.

Doug gave Stephanie a wide smile and picked up the salt shaker. "Three shots each. First to finish wins. If I win, you come home with me tonight."

She raised her eyebrows. "And if I win?"

He grinned. "I'll go home with you."

I snorted. Fucking egotistical bastard.

She plastered a fake smile on her face. "Sounds like I win either way."

Doug leaned close. "Oh you do, baby. You do."

He covered the back of both of their hands with salt once again and yelled for them to begin.

I watched Stephanie grimace as she shoved the first lime wedge in her mouth, and a sinking feeling took over my stomach.

I cupped my hand over my mouth and spoke into my mike. "Did anyone tell Brian to give Stephanie virgin drinks?"

There was silence over the wire as everyone realized that Stephanie was working her way through 4 shots of tequila after the drinks that she'd already had with Simms and the glass of wine she'd had with me at dinner.

"Fuck." Brian muttered. "Sorry, Boss. I didn't realize she was the new girl."

I let out a frustrated breath. There was no time to be angry right now. Doug had just beaten Stephanie and was looking at her triumphantly.

"You ready to head out, honey?"

She nodded and stood up. Wobbling just slightly she giggled and reached for the bar. "I may need a little help. I told you I'm not a drinker, and I swear that tequila went straight to my brain!"

Doug grinned and wrapped an arm around her waist. "I'm right here. Just lean against me."

My hands clenched into fists as I followed them to the door. I knew that right now we _wanted _Doug to be interested in Steph, but that didn't mean that I had to like it.

I covered my mouth. "On our way out the side door."

Immediately I heard several quick confirmations that teams were moving into place.

They passed through the door, and Julio grabbed Doug. "Bond enforcement," he whispered in a menacing tone right before he snapped the cuffs on his wrists. It happened so fast that Doug still looked stunned as they led him to the SUV.

As soon as Julio had Doug, Stephanie had turned around and flung herself at me.

"I did it!" she squealed gleefully, an ecstatic expression on her face.

In spite of myself, I grinned at her. "Yes, you did, Babe. You did a good job."

I shook my head as Stephanie giggled and wobbled drunkenly. Wrapping my arm tightly around her waist, I walked her to my car.

I was going to kill Simms. And then I was going to kill Brian. The two of them were supposed to be watching out for her during this whole operation, and instead they had managed to get her totally drunk.

**R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S**

We walked into my apartment, and I stared at Stephanie in amazement. She was trashed!

Letting go of my arm, she stumbled towards the bathroom.

I shook my head in amusement. "Babe, where do you think you're going?"

"I have to get a shower!" She rolled her eyes at me as though that should have been obvious.

"A shower?" I stared at her incredulously. "I don't think so, Steph. Let's just go to bed."

She pouted. "My hair smells all smoky! I won't be able to sleep like that. Plus then it'll make your sheets all smelly, too!"

She swayed, and I grabbed her shoulders to steady her. I tried to reason with her. "Stephanie, you can't even stand up. How can you possibly take a shower?"

She stuck her tongue out at me. "I'll lean against the shower wall."

The image of her naked and wet, leaning against the wall of my shower was just about more than I could handle. "Or I could give you a hand." I offered huskily.

She giggled. "You'd give me more than a hand, Ranger!"

True.

"I still don't like the idea of you taking a shower by yourself. I practically carried you into the apartment."

She held onto the wall and inched her way into the bathroom. "I'm drunk, Ranger, but I'm still with it enough to know that the two of us naked in the shower is not a good idea right now."

Well why the hell not? That sounded pretty damn near perfect to me! I let out a frustrated breath. Alright. So maybe this was not the best way to start out that particular aspect of our relationship.

"At least let me sit in there while you take a shower then." I offered.

She gave me a wide grin. "On one condition."

"What's that, Babe?"

"If I fall down in the shower, and you have to call your company medic…"

I raised an eyebrow at her, not sure where this was going. "Yeah?"

"Dress me first!" She giggled and closed the bathroom door.

She'd better believe I would dress her first! There was no way in hell that I'd call one of my guys up here to see her wet and naked in the shower! I banged my forehead against the door. Fuck! Now I had that image in my brain!

**Steph's POV**

After making my best effort at showering last night, I had collapsed into bed wrapped in a towel but otherwise completely naked. Dressing had just seemed too impossible to even attempt. I was sure that if I bent over to put anything on my lower half, I would end up standing on my head. And every time I tried to pull something over my eyes, I would lose my balance. So, I had given up and opted to sleep in my birthday suit.

I wiggled a little and felt Ranger pressed against me, hard. I gasped, my eyes flying open wide. It felt like he had opted to go without pajamas as well!

I turned to look at him, and the breath caught in my throat. The look on his face was one of pure desire. He wanted me. And he wanted me now.

He closed his eyes and sucked in a ragged breath. "I need you, Stephanie." He rasped.

Moaning, I pressed myself against him. I needed him, too. My hands tangled in his hair and drew his lips towards mine.

His hands explored my body from my shoulders to my hips. I felt like I was made of clay, and he was molding me. He felt every dip, every curve, tracing back over every piece of my flesh until I was practically panting with need.

I pulled my lips away from his.

"Please!" I gasped.

He looked into my eyes, concerned. "Please what, Babe?"

My heart was almost beating out of my chest, and my breath was coming in shallow pants. I could barely speak. There was no way that I could use words to tell him what I wanted right now.

I thrust my hips up against his. "Please!" I managed again.

Ranger studied my face for a split second, making sure that this was what I wanted. His eyes locked on mine, and I gave him a small nod. That was all the confirmation he needed.

With a growl, he leaned down and captured my lips. His hands grabbed my hips and pulled them upward, pressing me against his long, hard center.

My hips arched as he dipped one finger inside, teasing me. He thrust a second finger in, and I came completely undone. My body shuddered as I screamed out my release.

He slowly stroked my orgasm to completion and then leaned down to capture my nipple with his mouth. He licked, sucked, and tugged, moving back and forth to give each breast equal attention.

My hands fisted in the sheets, my body humming as he continued his delicious torture.

His lips moved slowly up my chest to my neck and jaw line. And then he stopped.

Breathing shallowly, I forced my eyes open and found him staring at me. His eyes were dark and intense.

He opened a drawer on his nightstand and pulled out a foil packet. Ripping it open, he quickly slid the condom on.

He lined himself up against me. "You're sure?" he asked in a low voice.

I nodded, my eyes wide, and he thrust deep inside of me.

Oh, God! He felt so good! I wanted to tell him that, but all I could choke out was "Ranger!"

His chin fell to his chest and his hands gripped my hips as he stayed buried within me for what felt like hours.

Pulling out, he lifted his head up to look at me.

"You feel so good, Babe!" he rasped as he plunged back inside.

I moaned my agreement, my hands searching for something to grab onto. Finally I grabbed his forearms and held on tight as he thrust into me over and over.

I came again, and now I was so sensitive that every thrust felt like he had hit thousands of nerve endings. It was intense; pleasure bordering on pain.

His thrusts began to speed up, and I knew he was close. His fingers found my swollen nub, and I screamed when he gave it a firm tug.

He collapsed on top of me, and I lay sprawled out underneath him, boneless and completely exhausted.

As my breathing and heart rate slowly returned to normal, Ranger repositioned himself so that he was laying next to me, chest to chest, instead of on top of me.

One of his fingers slowly traced across my cheeks and swollen lips.

"You're so beautiful, Stephanie." He whispered before leaning down to give me a gentle kiss.

I pulled back and stared up at him, my heart just about ready to burst. This was so different than anything I'd ever done with Joe. For the first time, I really understood the difference between having sex and making love.

_**TBC**_


	26. Chapter 26

_A/N: Thanks to Karren for encouraging me to work through a case of writer's block! This chapter is a little longer, so hopefully that makes up for the wait! Please let me know what you think! _

**Bold from chapter 25**

**As my breathing and heart rate slowly returned to normal, Ranger repositioned himself so that he was laying next to me, chest to chest, instead of on top of me.**

**One of his fingers slowly traced across my cheeks and swollen lips.**

**"You're so beautiful, Stephanie." He whispered before leaning down to give me a gentle kiss.**

**I pulled back and stared up at him, my heart just about ready to burst. This was so different than anything I'd ever done with Joe. For the first time, I really understood the difference between having sex and making love.**

**Chapter 26**

Ranger and I spent the next several hours in bed, lazily exploring each other, occasionally talking, drifting in and out of sleep, and holding each other close. It was like heaven. Perfection. For a few short hours, I could forget every horrible thing that had ever happened in my life and pretend that the future held only this. Bliss. Comfort. Love.

And then Ranger's cell phone rang.

He had been lazily skimming his fingers up and down my arm when his phone started beeping insistently. He leaned up and grabbed it off of the dresser. Checking the read-out, he answered, "Yo!"

He was silent for just a minute, his eyes flicking over towards mine. When he quickly looked away again, my heart sank. I knew it was about me. What was it this time? Bobby's doctor? Did Tom need to file some kind of statement?

Ranger's face was business now, all traces of the man I had just made love to for hours wiped away. "What's the officer's name?"

I sat up, clutching the sheet. The officer's name? Joe? Was he here? In Miami? My eyes widened as I gripped Ranger's thigh.

"Leave the call on hold for now. I'll get back to you." With that, he ended the call and flipped his phone to the other side of the bed.

He leaned down and grabbed my hands.

"Is he here?" I blurted out, my heart racing.

Ranger shook his head slowly. "No, Babe. He's not here. He's on the phone."

I took a deep breath and nodded slowly. Thank God! For a minute, I had thought that yesterday's nightmare was coming true, that Joe had followed me to Miami and was going to try to talk me into leaving with him.

"What does he want?" I managed.

"He wants to talk to you, of course." Ranger ran his thumb in circles on the back of my hand. "He's violating the restraining order right now. We'll notify Tom shortly and have him start a record."

I looked up, confused. "He is? I thought the restraining order just meant that he couldn't come near me."

Ranger nodded. "He can't. But we also requested non-contact. He's not supposed to contact you or come within a certain distance of you, your parents, or Mary Lou."

My eyebrows flew up in surprise. "Really? I didn't know you could include them on my restraining order!"

"We can. It's so that he doesn't get to you by harassing your closest family and friends."

I nodded slowly. That made sense. But why was he violating the restraining order? He had to know that it was illegal for him to call me down here. Why would he even take the chance?

"I don't understand. He has to know that, right? So then why is he calling me?"

Ranger shook his head. "I don't know, Babe. He told Eric, our guy who answered, that he needed to speak with you, that it was urgent. The guys know not to patch through any calls to you without checking first, so he called to ask me what to do."

He paused and reached out a hand. He carefully tucked a curl behind my ear. "He's on hold right now. It's up to you. Do you want to talk to him, or do you want Eric to tell him that you're not available?"

I chewed my lower lip nervously. "What do you think I should do?"

He looked at me steadily. "I think that you're the only one who knows whether or not you're ready to talk to him. If you think you're ready, take the call. If you're not, don't."

I balled my hands up into fists and squeezed my eyes closed. "But how do I _know_ that? How do I _know_ if I'm ready?" I growled.

Ranger pulled me next to him. "Do you remember when you came to RangeMan? You couldn't make a decision on your own. You couldn't even decide whether you wanted him to know that you'd left him or not. You're much stronger now, Stephanie. You've talked to so many people about what happened. It's made you more determined, focused."

I looked up at him skeptically. "You really think so?"

He leaned down and kissed my forehead. "I really think so."

"You think I can take this call?"

"I think you can if you want to. Just because you're strong enough to talk to him doesn't mean that you have to. You're also strong enough to say no to choices that you don't want."

I thought about that for a minute. That was true. I did feel stronger now. And refusing to talk to Joe didn't mean that I was weak. It just meant that I didn't want to talk to him.

So what did I want to do? My eyes flicked nervously over to Ranger's face. What I wanted to do was to run away from the whole situation. Stay in Miami with Ranger, hang out with Simms, and pretend Joe had never existed.

A huge grin spread across Ranger's face. "Well, we may still have to go up to Trenton every once in a while to look over things, but the weather in Miami _is_ much nicer than in New Jersey."

My eyes widened. "Out loud?" I squeaked.

"Yeah, Babe. Out loud." Ranger chuckled.

I dropped my chin to my chest and let out a defeated sigh. I was a mess. I couldn't even manage to keep control of my _thoughts_ without them tumbling out of my mouth. I must be an idiot to think that I could actually have some sort of control over my _life_!

Ranger put a finger under my chin, lifting it gently until my eyes met his. "Stop being so hard on yourself, Stephanie." He whispered.

I shrugged. "Why?"

"Because I understand how you feel. The desire to want to run away from the situation instead of facing it."

I snorted and looked at him in disbelief. "What? Are you trying to convince me that you've ever run away from a problem?"

He raised one eyebrow and answered me calmly. "I said that I understood the _desire_ to run away. Not that I've actually done it."

His fingertip traced across my shoulder. "I've been in some pretty ugly situations in my lifetime. A few of them I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy and a couple that occasionally keep me awake at night. More than once, I was tempted to say 'screw the mission' and haul ass outta there."

He paused.

"But you didn't, did you?" I whispered.

"No, I didn't. Because in a few of those cases, other people were counting on me. I couldn't let them down. And in the others, because I'm not a quitter."

I choked out a laugh. "Well, I _am_ a quitter! I can't even remember all of the things I've quit in my lifetime! Piano lessons, ballet, cooking classes, gymnastics, basketball, my marriage to Dickie, Joe! The list just goes on and on!"

Ranger looked at me steadily. "Did you quit those things because they didn't make you happy?"

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Yes."

He shrugged. "Then you _should_ have quit them. Life's too short to spend wrapped up in things that don't make you happy."

"I guess." I replied, still not totally convinced.

"So you had a few bad relationships. I'm right there with ya, Babe. You've heard about the worst of mine. That doesn't mean I'm a quitter. It means that I'm smart enough to know when something is right for me and when it isn't. Instead of walking out on my cheating girlfriend, do you think I should have stayed? Married her? Had a couple of kids?"

I shook my head. "Of course not!"

"And no one thinks that you should have stayed with Joe."

Hmm. I smiled up at Ranger. "Maybe I should cancel my therapy sessions with Dr. Michaels and just talk to you. How did you get so good at this?"

He gave me a wry grin. "Lots of debriefings with lots of psychiatrists over the years."

The smile slid from my face as I nodded, realizing that Ranger's troubles over the years made my problems pale in comparison.

He tipped his head to the side and held up his phone. "So what would you like to do, Steph? Talk to Morelli now or later?"

I rolled my eyes. "I notice that you didn't give me _or never_ as a choice."

Ranger shook his head, his face serious. "You can ignore problems for a while, but they don't usually disappear until you deal with them."

"You sound like a bad fortune cookie!" I muttered, flopping onto my back and burying my face with a pillow.

Ranger pulled the pillow off of me. "Now or later?"

I blew out an exasperated breath. "Fine! Now!"

He gave me a small smile and pulled me up into a sitting position while I grumbled under my breath about men who thought they were still commanding officers in the Army.

Ranger dialed Eric's extension and asked for Joe's call to be put through to his cell phone.

"Do you think he's still on the line?" I asked nervously, butterflies swarming in my stomach.

"I'm sure he is, Babe." Ranger replied.

Sure enough, a few seconds later Ranger passed me the phone.

"Miss Plum?" a masculine voice confirmed.

"That's me." I squeaked.

"Just so you know, ma'am, we'll be recording this conversation to use as evidence against Officer Morelli's violation of the restraining order."

He paused as if he were waiting for me to confirm my understanding.

"Um, OK." I replied weakly.

"Please hold for one second while I patch Officer Morelli through to this line."

I heard a few clicks and then seconds later the sound of someone's breath against the phone receiver.

"Hello?" I whispered. Then, clearing my throat, I repeated in a stronger voice. "Hello?"

"Cupcake? Is that you?"

I felt the blood drain from my face at the sound of Joe's voice and the pet name he had given me so long ago.

"Yes."

Joe let out a ragged breath. "Thank God you're OK, Stephanie." He cleared his throat. "You are OK, aren't you?"

I stared at the phone in disbelief. "Yes, I'm OK. The only time I've ever been in danger of _not _being OK was when I was with you."

"I know, Stephanie. And I'm sorry. Please, forgive me. I love you; you know that. I never meant to hurt you." Joe pleaded.

I clenched my fists. I was suddenly furious at him. I could feel a ball of anger begin in my stomach and spread throughout the rest of my body. My muscles tensed, and I wanted nothing more than to launch myself through the phone and begin clawing out Joe's eyes.

"Then what _did_ you mean to do?" I hissed.

"What?" he asked, startled.

"If you didn't mean to hurt me, what _did_ you mean to do? What did you think was going to happen when you punched me? Or slapped me? Or kicked me in the ribs? Did you think it would feel _good_?"

I could hear Joe trying to respond, but I was on a roll now, and I wasn't about to stop for his pathetic excuses.

"Well, here's a news flash, moron, it _didn't_ feel good." I screamed. "It hurt. A lot. And I hate you for it. I hate you for all of the times you made me feel weak. And stupid. And worthless. I hate you for all of the times you made me feel like there was something wrong with me because I couldn't be what you wanted me to be. You know what, Joe? There's _nothing_ wrong with me. _I'm_ not the problem! _You_ are!"

My hands were shaking, and my body was trembling by the time I was done with my little tirade, but for the first time since I'd come to RangeMan, I felt good about my standing with Joe. For once I wasn't letting him control me. I was laying everything out for him, and I was telling him exactly what I thought of his behavior. He was wrong, and I knew it.

"I know, Stephanie! I know!" he sobbed. "I'm so sorry for everything I've put you through! Please forgive me!"

I shook my head. "I can't do that right now. Maybe someday I'll be able to forgive you, but right now I can't. I'm too angry."

"I'll do anything, Stephanie. Anything you want, if you'll just forgive me. Come back to me. What do you want me to? Go to AA classes? See a therapist? Anything. Just please come back to me. Please, I'm begging you!"

My anger was draining, and now I was just feeling empty. Empty and tired. Tired of the arguing. Tired of the same promises, the same excuses.

"I can't, Joe." I answered in a thin voice.

"But I need you!" he begged. "I don't know what I'll do without you!"

"You'll be fine without me."

"No! I won't! You're the only good thing in my life. Don't you see that? Without you, I don't know what I'll do."

A shiver worked its way down my neck. What was he saying? Was he actually thinking about…. No! He wouldn't do that. Would he?

I cleared my throat and started talking fast. "Don't be ridiculous, Joe. You have plenty of good things in your life. You have your family, your friends. You have the job that you've always wanted. The job that you worked so hard to get."

He gave a dry laugh. "Yes, I have my job. For now. Until this case goes to court. Then I'll be lucky if I don't get fired. I'll probably end up behind a desk somewhere."

"You have a house. Your bike. You love riding that bike."

"I have a house. A house that's meant for a family. A family I wanted to start with you, Cupcake." His voice cracked at the end, and I could hear him taking a deep shuddering breath.

If Joe really was considering taking his own life, I certainly wasn't doing a very good trying to talk him out of it. I looked up at Ranger, slightly panicked. He looked at my wild eyes and frowned. _Speaker_, he mouthed. I just stared at him blankly. He motioned to the phone. _Put it on speaker._

Finally understanding what he wanted me to do, I nodded and hit the button to put the call on speakerphone.

"You're a good guy, Joe. You just need to get some help. If you can do that, you'll be fine."

"And then you'll come back to me?" he asked hopefully.

I bit my lip. "I don't think so."

He let out a tortured wail. "Why, Stephanie? Why am I not good enough for you?"

"It's not a matter of being good enough, Joe. We just don't belong together. We're not good for each other. You need someone who can give you what you want- a comfortable home, kids. And I need someone who will accept me for the way I am."

"But I love you, Stephanie!" he choked out. "I don't want anyone else. You're all I want. All I need. Anything. I'll do anything to get you back. We don't have to have kids. You can get a job if you want. I'll stop drinking. I'll go to AA. Anything. Please!"

I tried to swallow around the lump in my throat. "I can't." I whispered.

"Why?" he asked, anguished. "Why, Stephanie?"

"You don't need _me_. You need _help_."

"But I need you, too. I can't do it without you! I can't! I won't make it!"

I could feel the tears leaking from my eyes. "But if I come back, _I_ won't make it." I whispered. "Don't you see, Joe? It's one or the other."

"I need you, Stephanie. I can't go on without you!" he begged.

I sniffed back a few tears, and Ranger grabbed my hand, giving it a firm squeeze. "Don't talk like that!" I lectured. "You're a good guy, Joe. You can get through this. We both can. But you have to make some changes."

"Why?" he asked bitterly.

"What do you mean why?"

"I mean why bother? Why make any changes if it's not going to help. The one thing I still want, I still need, I can't have. No matter what I do. So why bother?"

Ranger's thumb was drawing circles on the back of my hand, keeping me centered. My heart was beating wildly in my chest. "Because I do love you, Joe. I care about you a lot, and I want you to get help."

"But you still won't come back to me." It wasn't a question. It was a hollow admission of the truth.

"No." I whispered. "I still won't come back to you."

"You're the only reason that I've been able to hold it together at all, you know." He replied quietly. "I tried so hard. I really did, Stephanie. I wanted so badly to be the guy that you deserved. I hated myself for hurting you. I'd beat myself up until I couldn't stand the man I'd become. Some days I couldn't even look at myself after I'd hurt you. I knew that I was turning into my father, and I hated myself for it. I'd have a drink just to try to forget the horrible mess I'd made of my life. And then one drink would become 2. And then 3. And pretty soon Eddie would come to take me home."

He paused, and I sobbed loudly into the phone, remembering the nights he was talking about.

"God!" He croaked. "Don't cry, Steph! Please don't cry! I'm so sorry."

I pressed my hand over my mouth, trying to stop the sobs from coming out.

Ranger pulled me onto his lap, my back against his front and rubbed his hands slowly up and down my arms, gentle and soothing.

"I'm just lost." Joe whispered. "I don't know what to do now. I've lost everything. You. My job. Half of my family won't even speak to me now. And the guys at the precinct avoid me. My life is shit, Cupcake. Without you, I have nothing."

I had slowed down the sobs, and I was swallowing hard, keeping fresh tears at bay as best as I could. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know how to make him understand.

"I'm afraid, Steph." He continued. "I'm afraid that without you, I won't make it. I won't have any reason to try. I'm afraid that I'll start drinking more. That I'll do something really stupid…. I just…"

I waited, but Joe never finished his sentence.

"You just what, Joe?" I whispered.

"I just. I just never thought things would turn out this way. That's all. Goodbye, Cupcake." He whispered softly.

I heard a loud clattering sound, like Joe had dropped the phone to the floor, and I panicked. Grabbing the phone with both hands, I started screaming.

"Joe! Joe! Answer me! What are you doing? Joe! Please don't do anything stupid! Please! Joe! Promise me that you won't do anything stupid! Joe!"

But there was no answer.

_**TBC**_


	27. Chapter 27

_A/N: Poor Ranger! He got bashed pretty hard in a few reviews! LOL! For the record, he DID give Steph the option of talking to Morelli later. He left it up to her. He is trying very hard not to become a different version of Joe- controlling her life, telling her what to do, keeping things (phone calls, visitors, etc.) from her. For better or worse, he wants her to work through her problems as much as she can. He'll definitely be by her side to support her, though! Hopefully he will redeem himself soon! ;)_

**Bold from Chapter 26**

"**I'm afraid, Steph." He continued. "I'm afraid that without you, I won't make it. I won't have any reason to try. I'm afraid that I'll start drinking more. That I'll do something really stupid…. I just…"**

**I waited, but Joe never finished his sentence.**

"**You just what, Joe?" I whispered.**

"**I just. I just never thought things would turn out this way. That's all. Goodbye, Cupcake." He whispered softly.**

**I heard a loud clattering sound, like Joe had dropped the phone to the floor, and I panicked. Grabbing the phone with both hands, I started screaming.**

"**Joe! Joe! Answer me! What are you doing? Joe! Please don't do anything stupid! Please! Joe! Promise me that you won't do anything stupid! Joe!"**

**But there was no answer.**

**Chapter 27**

I continued screaming hysterically into the phone until Ranger pried it from my fingers.

"No!" I rasped, reaching for it. I had to make Joe listen to me! I had to make him agree not to do anything stupid! If he hurt himself… At the thought, I was overcome with a fresh wave of guilt and another round of choking sobs.

I was barely aware of the fact that Ranger had disconnected Joe's call and was now dialing a new number.

From somewhere beyond my haze of guilt and confusion, I could hear him ordering someone to Joe's address. I just sat motionless on the bed, feeling absolutely helpless.

Is this how things between Joe and me were going to end? With him taking his own life? I found myself echoing some of the last words he had said to me- "I just never thought things would turn out this way."

Numb. That was how I felt right now. As if someone had injected my entire body with Novocain.

It was all my fault. Joe had said it. If something happened to him it would be all my fault. If I had just stayed with him... Maybe I could have helped him somehow….

I stared blankly at the picture on Ranger's wall. Blue. Black. Gray. White. Lots of colors. Swirling colors. My fault. All my fault.

"Stephanie." Ranger touched my shoulder lightly. My fault. My fault. My fault.

I scrambled off of the bed and ran for the walk-in closet. "I have to go back to Trenton! I have to…" I began.

Ranger walked slowly over to the closet door, leaning against the frame. "You have to what?" he asked quietly.

I grabbed the first clothes that I saw and began pulling them on. "I don't know! I don't know _what_ to do. I just know that I have to do _something_!"

Ranger moved in front of me and gently put his hands on my shoulders. "Stephanie," he soothed. "We are hours away from Trenton. Even if we were on a plane that left right now, we wouldn't be able to get to him for two, maybe three hours."

My shoulders slumped as I realized the truth of what he was telling me. "But in three hours, he could…" my voice broke off as I was overcome by another round of uncontrollable sobbing.

"Shhh." Ranger wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into him. "Bobby and Lester are on their way to Morelli's house now. If he needs any immediate medical attention, Bobby can provide that. Lester is going to call Eddie on the way and have him meet them there as well."

I took in a deep shuddering breath and nodded against his chest. I had just managed to calm myself down when the mantra started repeating itself again in my head. My fault. My fault. My fault. I groaned and buried my face in his shoulder.

"Stephanie!" This time Ranger barked my name in what could only be described as a drill sergeant's voice. It demanded my attention, and my head snapped up to look at him, my eyes wide and my mouth open in surprise.

His face was serious. "Stop. Whatever you're thinking, stop."

"But…" I whispered.

He held up a hand to silence me. Leaning closer, he gently cupped my cheek. "Don't you see? He's still manipulating you."

I blinked in surprise. "But… It's my fault. He said…"

"Yes, he said it would be your fault. That doesn't make it true."

I chewed my bottom lip, my heart racing furiously. I wanted to believe Ranger's words. I really did. But if something happened to Joe, it would be my fault. All my fault. Wouldn't it?

"But…" I choked out.

Ranger pulled back and held my hands. "Stephanie, look at me." he ordered softly.

I looked up at him.

"If I threw my phone across the room and broke it, would that be your fault?"

I shook my head no.

"If I went up on the roof of this building right now and jumped off of it, would that be your fault?"

I shook my head again.

"Then how is it your fault if Joe does the same thing?"

I opened my mouth, searching for the answer, then closed it when my brain couldn't come up with anything.

Ranger waited patiently.

Finally I gave a weak shrug. "Because maybe I could have helped him?"

"What would you have done?" he asked softly.

I could feel tears welling up behind my eyes. "I don't know." I whispered. "I guess I could have made him go to AA or therapy, like he said."

"Did you ask him to do that in the past?"

I sniffed and nodded.

"And did it work?"

I barely managed my answer. "No."

"Why not?"

"Because he didn't want to go. He'd go for a little while. To appease me. To try to make amends. Then he'd get tired of going and stop." 

Ranger nodded and looked at me seriously. "Then why would this time be any different?"

I thought hard. "I don't know. Because I left this time? I said that I would before, but I don't think he really believed me."

"Stephanie, he's trying to make you feel guilty. Put all of the blame on you. If he goes out and gets drunk it's your fault because you left him. If he loses his job, it's your fault because you left him." He looked at me steadily. "It's not your fault."

I buried my face in my hands.

"If he's only drinking because you left, then why was he drinking before? When you were still there?"

I dropped my hands. "Because of his job?" I asked, unsure.

Ranger gave me a sad smile. "Don't you see, Stephanie? There's always a reason, an excuse. If you went back right now, today, he'd stop. For a little while. Then something else would happen. A new case at work. Pressure from his mother. An unexpected bill."

I shifted my weight uncertainly. "Do you really think so?"

He cupped my cheek. "Yes, I really think so."

A loud banging on the apartment door made me jump, pulling my face from Ranger's grasp.

With a raised eyebrow, he quickly pulled on a pair of sweatpants and strode out into the foyer to answer the door.

Still deep in thought, I followed Ranger in a daze.

He opened the door, and Simms rushed into the apartment, Julio trailing behind him. "Stephanie!"

I looked up in confusion. "Ron? What are you doing up here?"

He crossed the entryway in three big strides, wrapping his arms around me protectively. "Julio told me that Joe had called. They thought maybe he had…" he broke off and looked at me uncertainly, gauging my reaction.

I shrugged and bit my lip, trying not to burst into tears all over again.

Simms looked over at Ranger. "We know anything yet?"

Ranger shook his head once. "Bobby and Les headed over to his house to check on him. No word yet."

Simms looked back at me. "How you holdin' up, Steffie?"

"Not so good." I managed.

He rubbed my back. "You know this isn't your fault, right?"

I crumpled against him. "That's what I've been told." I squeaked.

"By Ranger?" he whispered.

I nodded against his chest.

"Well, he's right."

I really wanted to believe that. I really, really wanted to. But…

I pulled back and cleared my throat, keeping my eyes focused on the floor while I rasped out a reply. "Thanks for checking on me, Ron. But I have to finish packing."

His posture stiffened, and I looked up. The look on his face was murderous, and I flinched instinctively.

Simms shook his head, his jaw set firmly. "Steph, you can't go back to Trenton right now. You need to stay here. At least for a few more days."

"Why?" I gasped. "Why would you say that?"

"Because if you go flying back to Trenton, you'll be reinforcing the little mind games that Joe is playing with you."

I just stared at him blankly, and he continued.

"Joe is expecting you to come back. He's counting on it."

I shook my head. "He doesn't know! I didn't tell him anything!"

"But he knows you, Stephanie. He knows what kind of a person you are. He knows that you have a big heart and that you always want to help people. He's taking advantage of that. He knows that if you think you can help him, you will."

What was he saying? Was he accusing Joe of orchestrating some kind of a scheme to get me to come back to him? To get me to come back to Trenton? He wouldn't do that. Would he?

Yes. The answer hit me, and I knew with every fiber of my being that it was true. I pressed my hands over my eyes. He was still doing it! Son of a bitch! He was still manipulating me! How? How did he have this kind of power over me?

I whirled around, my hands fisted and clenched tightly against my sides. I hated him! Letting out a furious noise that was somewhere between a shriek and a growl, I stalked towards the bedroom.

My body was literally vibrating with rage. My hands were shaking, and I could feel tremors working their way down my spine.

I looked at Ranger's bed. The sheets were still tangled from our earlier lovemaking, and the rage bubbled over.

I had moved on! I had found someone else, a guy who truly cared for me, who wanted me to be happy. And not two hours after making love to this perfect man, I was ready to go back to Joe. For what? To help him? To save him? What the hell was wrong with me? Was I an idiot?

I flew into the closet and dumped my duffel bag onto the floor. Gritting my teeth, I threw the bag across the large area. I picked up my sneakers and hurled them out of the closet and into Ranger's bedroom.

"I hate you!" I screamed at the flying sneakers.

I reached down and blindly grabbed something else off of the floor. Throwing it through the door, I yelled again, "I hate you!"

I kept screaming and throwing until my voice was hoarse and the closet floor was completely clear. Then, sobbing, I dropped to my knees in the closet. "I hate you!" I whispered into my hands.

I sat like that for just a few minutes before I heard a soft rustling behind me.

With a hiccup, I looked up to see Ranger, Simms, and Julio in the closet doorway.

Ranger knelt down beside me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "Bobby called back." He said softly.

My eyes widened, and I looked up at his face, silently encouraging him to continue.

"He was fine when they got there. Not a mark on him."

I nodded, not sure how I was supposed to feel about that. On the one hand, I was glad that he hadn't hurt himself. On the other, it certainly made it look like he had been playing me for a fool earlier.

"That's good, I guess." I finally whispered.

Simms slowly sank to his knees in front of me. He reached out and took my hands in his, running his thumbs over the backs.

We sat quietly, lost in our own thoughts, for several seconds.

Simms finally broke the silence. "You OK?"

I nodded. "Yeah." I answered automatically.

He gave me an unconvinced look. "You sure?"

No, I wasn't sure. Unable to stop myself, I shook my head, the tears pouring forth.

Ranger pulled me into him, cradling my head against his shoulder.

"Why?" I choked out.

"Why what, Babe?" he clarified.

"What's wrong with him? Why would he say that? Threaten that? Why?"

"To make you come back to him."

My voice wobbled. "And what's wrong with _me_?"

Ranger tipped my chin up. "Why would you think there's something wrong with you?"

I lowered my eyes. "Because I was willing to do it. I was ready to pack my things and go back, to try to help him." I sucked in a deep breath. "I don't know if I would have gone back to _him_, but I was willing to go back to _Trenton. _Because of him."

Ranger rubbed my back. "This is Joe's problem, Stephanie, not yours. Don't let him blame you. He's a liar. A manipulator. An abuser. He's good at what he does."

I looked up at him, my forehead creased.

He continued. "He's just found a new way to abuse you. If he can't touch you to abuse you physically, then he'll abuse you verbally. Emotionally."

Shock flooded my system. Ranger was right. He was still hurting me. Only this time the scars were on the inside instead of visible on the outside.

I swallowed hard. "I don't think I want to talk to him again. At least not for a while."

Ranger nodded. "Whatever you want, Steph."

**R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S**

Several minutes later, I took a deep breath and disentangled myself from Ranger's arms and Ron's hands. I stood up slowly and headed out into Ranger's bedroom to survey the damage my little temper tantrum had caused.

Good Lord! It was a disaster area!

"Holy shit!" I muttered under my breath.

Apparently in my anger, I had grabbed not only all of _my_ clothing off of the floor, but _all_ of Ranger's shoes and a fair amount of _his_ clothing as well.

The floor was littered with shoes, socks, pants, t-shirts, and sweaters. A belt and one black sock hung off of the lampshade, which was now tilted to the left. A boot and one of my sneakers had made it to the bed along with a pair of Ranger's jeans and one of his t-shirts. One of my bras hung from the ceiling fan.

Ranger surveyed the damage, shaking his head. A small smile played at the corners of his lips.

Trying to lighten the mood, Simms slung an arm around my shoulders. "Bring back any memories, Steph?" he asked, teasingly.

I raised my eyebrows, waiting for him to continue.

"It looks a lot like my dorm room at school, minus the beer cans."

A huge grin spread across my face, and I couldn't help the laugh that escaped.

Biting my lip, I tried to look serious. I turned to Ranger, ready to apologize for destroying his bedroom.

"Ranger, I…" I began, but he held up a hand to stop me.

"Don't." he said softly. "Don't apologize. You needed to get rid of the anger you were feeling, and you did." He rubbed his hands up and down my arms. "Personally I prefer shooting things, but I guess trashing a room has its merits as well."

"I'll clean it up." I promised.

He leaned down to kiss my nose. "_We'll_ clean it up. I meant what I said this morning. I'm here for you. Whatever you need. Someone to talk to, a dinner date, or…" he reached up and pulled my bra off of his ceiling fan, "someone to help you clean up."

My eyes filled with tears, happy tears this time. I blinked them back and with a silent nod I began picking up the clothing that was scattered across the room. From the corner of my eye I could see Ranger, Simms, and even Julio helping as well.

What had I been thinking? I was going to leave this? Ranger, a man who I was pretty sure loved me and treated me wonderfully; Simms, one of my best friends; for what? For Joe? For a man who used me, degraded me, and made me feel horrible about myself?

_Never again_ I vowed. Never again would I allow him to control me. To make decisions for me. To use me. Never again.

_**TBC**_


	28. Chapter 28

_I know it's been a whiiiiiiiile since the last update. Bear with me! I promise that I will see this story through to the end. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed or sent an encouraging private message! Sometimes they really are the gentle shove I need to get my rear back in gear!_

**Bold from Chapter 27**

**Steph's POV**

**My eyes filled with tears, happy tears this time. I blinked them back and with a silent nod I began picking up the clothing that was scattered across the room. From the corner of my eye I could see Ranger, Simms, and even Julio helping as well.**

**What had I been thinking? I was going to leave this? Ranger, a man who I was pretty sure loved me and treated me wonderfully; Simms, one of my best friends; for what? For Joe? For a man who used me, degraded me, and made me feel horrible about myself?**

_**Never again**_** I vowed. Never again would I allow him to control me. To make decisions for me. To use me. Never again.**

**Chapter 28**

**Ranger's POV**

My cell phone buzzed on my hip. I dropped my black dress shoes back onto the shoe rack and checked the read out. Eddie. I had already gotten a status report from Les and Bobby, so I wasn't sure why Eddie would be calling.

Stephanie looked up as I walked towards the bedroom door. She tipped her head to the side in question, and I held up a hand and shook my head.

"How does he do that?" she muttered under her breath, folding a pair of jeans.

I smirked as I stepped into the kitchen. Stephanie thought that she was unreadable, but her face gave her away every time. Her emotions played across it without restraint.

Keeping one eye on the bedroom door, I answered Eddie's call. "Yo!"

Eddie sighed heavily. "Hey, Ranger. We've got a problem."

Fuck. Those were quite possibly my least favorite words. "Explain." I answered calmly.

"Well…" Eddie cleared his throat nervously. "It's Joe. I'm not quite sure what to do here…"

I waited, but Eddie didn't continue. "My guys said he was fine when they got there."

"Um, yes, he is, but…"

I clenched my jaw. "Eddie, if you need me to help you with something, you're going to have to tell me what's going on."

Eddie started babbling so fast that I could barely catch everything he was saying.

"It's just that I'm a mandated reporter, you know? I'm supposed to report suspected abuse. Like nurses and teachers, they're mandated reporters, too. And I know I didn't do a very good job of that with Steph. I should've reported it. I should've let someone know. I mean, I was supposed to. That's my job. I'm required to report that, but I didn't. I don't know what I was thinking. Well, I wasn't thinking, I guess. I just didn't want it to be true, ya know? So I ignored it, but I can't ignore it this time because Joe keeps telling me over and over! And what if something happens? And I ignored it again? I mean, what kind of friend would I be then? Then I would've let them both down! They'd both be hurt, and I could've stopped it, but I didn't! And what about my job? If the chief ever found out that I knew, I might lose my job! It's just…"

Finally I couldn't take it anymore. "Eddie!" I barked into the phone. Silence. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

He sucked in a breath. "It's Joe. He keeps talking about how his life is worthless now, and there's no point in him going on. He hasn't done anything. As far as we know, he hasn't acted on any of those impulses, but…"

Eddie paused.

"But you're afraid he will."

"Yes." Eddie answered quietly.

I ran a hand through my hair. "What do you need me to do?"

"I don't know. I just can't let another one of my friends get hurt if there's something I can do to prevent it."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "You know what'll happen if you call the paramedics, right?"

Eddie let out a sigh. "Yeah. They'll take him to a psychiatric hospital for a couple of days. Talk to him. Do group therapy."

"Do you think that's what he needs?"

Eddie snorted. "I don't know. I don't know what he needs. Part of me thinks he needs a good, swift kick in the ass. Another part thinks maybe he does need someone to listen to him."

I clenched my fists and willed myself to remain calm. "I know of a place you can take him. It's a private hospital a few hours away. They do inpatient therapy, and if you let them know what he's saying, they'll keep a much closer eye on him."

"Really?" Eddie asked hopefully. "Do you think that would work?"

"It's probably a better bet than taking him to St. Francis, don't you think?"

"Yeah." Eddie agreed. "He'd prob'ly just check himself out of there."

"Well, he won't be able to check himself out of this place. Plus, they'll monitor his room and his therapy sessions."

"He may not like that."

"He won't know."

"Oh." Eddie sounded surprised by that. "Ummm, how much does this place cost?"

"Don't worry about it. I'll call, make the arrangements, and let them know that Morelli is coming."

"Thanks, Ranger. I really appreciate it. I know that Joe would, too, if he were himself."

I shook my head. "Listen, Eddie, personally I could care less if the bastard killed himself. I know he's your friend, but he's an asshole. He hurt Stephanie. Badly."

There was silence on the other end of the line. He knew that what I was saying was the truth.

"Let's be very clear here. I'm not doing this to help Joe or because I feel bad for your friend. I'm doing this for Stephanie. If he killed himself, she would be destroyed. She would blame herself. She'd think there might have been something she could've done. Should've done." I clenched my jaw. "One day that asshole is going to die. I may even be there to see it happen. But it's not going to be today. Understand?" I growled

Eddie cleared his throat. "Perfectly. Thank you."

I ended the call and looked up to see Stephanie walk out of my bedroom with a big smile on her face.

I shoved the phone back into my pocket and schooled my own features into a calm mask. "All done, Babe?"

She slid her arms around my middle, her lips resting against my ear. "All done."

I closed my eyes and breathed in the scent of her crazy curls.

She tipped her head back and looked up at me. "Who was on the phone?"

I kissed her nose. "No one important. You ready for lunch?"

Her blue eyes widened and sparkled. "I'm always ready to eat!"

**R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S**

**Steph's POV**

Sighing contentedly, I leaned back against Ranger and propped my feet up on the couch. It had been a long day, and I was glad it was over.

Ranger rubbed his hands up and down my arms. "Penny for your thoughts."

I pretended to pout. "You have a private jet and at least two Porsches, and my thoughts are only worth a penny? Geesh!"

Ranger spun me around so that I was facing him. His eyes flashed, and a wicked grin spread across his face. "You feeling playful, Babe?" he growled.

I yelped and tried to scoot backwards along the couch, but Ranger pounced. Wrapping his arms around me, he laid me down on the couch and began devouring my lips and my neck.

I was so caught up in the wonderful things that his lips, tongue, and teeth were doing to my body, that I cannot be held responsible for anything I did. For example, tangling my fingers in his hair and trying to move his very talented lips just a little bit lower. Or the embarrassingly loud moans coming from my throat. And my mother probably would have been horrified that a good little Burg girl even knew some of the lewd words that were popping out of my mouth, let alone that I was using them to give suggestions of exactly what Ranger could do with his body and my body next.

He pulled back, his dark hair hanging over part of his face. "Is that better than a penny?" he asked huskily.

"Much better!" I agreed quickly, reaching up to pull his lips back to mine.

"Uh uh!" he teased, pulling back and sitting up.

"Huh?" I looked at him, confused.

"I paid the price, now you have to tell me your thoughts, remember?"

I was still breathing erratically, my cheeks were flushed, and my lips were swollen. I was sure that it was pretty damn clear _exactly_ what was on my mind right now!

"Babe!" Ranger moaned, his eyes narrowing as he leaned closer.

I bit my lip. "Out loud?"

"Yeah, out loud." He reached over and tugged my lip free. "And if you don't quit biting that damn lip of yours, I'm going to show you exactly what's on _my_ mind right now!"

Ranger wanted me! That was one truth that I knew for certain. The knowledge of it made me feel strong, powerful. The strength surged through my body and gave me the courage to look him right in the eye as I playfully bit down hard on my lower lip.

With a growl, he pounced on me again, effectively ending our conversation.

**R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S**

I sighed happily and snuggled back into Ranger's chest, imagining that I looked a lot like a very satisfied, lazy kitten lounging in the sun. In fact, if I were capable, I would have been purring.

Ranger's lips skimmed over the shell of my ear, and I made a happy little moaning noise in appreciation.

"Penny for your thoughts." He teased.

My eyes stayed closed, but my lips tipped up at the corners. I was even too lazy to give a full smile.

"I have no thoughts right now." I mumbled. "I am completely brainless. And boneless."

I could feel Ranger's chest shaking with silent laughter.

"Shut up," I mumbled, giving him a half-hearted smack on the chest.

He laced his fingers through mine, and we sat quietly for a few minutes. I had almost drifted off to sleep when his voice broke through the quiet.

"When do you want to head back to Trenton, Steph?"

I rolled over and pushed my hair out of my face. "What?"

His lips twitched. "Do you want to stay down here for a while longer? Head for home in a few days? A week? What are your thoughts?"

I closed my eyes and exhaled a big breath. "Actually, I'd like to go back tomorrow if we can."

Ranger raised one eyebrow and a guarded look took over his face. "Why is that?"

I looked down at the sheet and began picking at imaginary pieces of lint. "Well, I've been thinking about what you said. About how problems don't usually go away until you face them and deal with them. I think you're probably right."

I glanced up quickly and found Ranger watching me. The closed off, guarded look was gone, but he was still listening cautiously.

"I think I've spent so much of my life running away from problems, that it's almost second nature to me now. I don't even realize I'm doing it; it's just my go-to reaction. Run. There are a lot of things that I need to deal with in Trenton. Tom needs me to file paperwork, Bobby has a surgery on hold, and…"

I paused, trying to collect the rest of my scrambled thoughts.

"And?" Ranger prompted quietly.

"And I need to quit running from Joe. Our families are from the same neighborhood, belong to the same church, shop at the same stores. Unless one of us moves, I'm going to see him around town. This has been a nice little vacation from reality, but it's time to go home."

I could feel Ranger's gaze, watching me, taking in everything I said. He reached out a finger and tipped my chin up. "Do you want to see Joe when you get back?"

I shook my head hard and fast. "No! I'm not ready for that!"

He nodded. "It's over, right?"

I swallowed hard and nodded. "Right."

He wrapped his arms around my middle, pulling my back against his chest. "Then we'll leave for Trenton tomorrow."

_**TBC**_


	29. Chapter 29

_I can't believe how long it's been since I updated this story- eek! In my head, I've added on to it a hundred times. Unfortunately, it never made it onto paper. Sorry for the delay, and hopefully I'll be able to see it to an ending soon!_

**Chapter 29**

**Ranger's POV**

Stephanie had wanted to leave for Trenton right after breakfast this morning. Unfortunately, I got a call from Jet at 0600 that made that impossible. Apparently during his preflight checklist, one of the gauges was displaying readings outside of the normal range. He really felt that everything was fine and that one of the engine sensors was causing the poor reading, but he wasn't willing to take any chances and neither was I. We both agreed that the plane was grounded until it had been thoroughly checked out and cleared by a mechanic.

Knowing that was most likely going to be my decision, Jet had already called his usual mechanic, and he was due to the hangar by 0700. Jet was hoping that his sensor prediction was accurate and that we would be in the air first thing tomorrow morning, but there was a possibility that we would be in Miami for several more days.

I figured that Stephanie would be both relieved and frustrated by our delayed departure. She was trying to be strong by heading back to Trenton and facing all of the very serious issues waiting for her there. Namely her charges against Morelli and a surgery consultation with Dr. Newhouse. However, in the brief time that I had known Stephanie, I had also learned that she was an expert at avoiding uncomfortable situations. As she had jokingly referred to it over a glass of wine one night, she was "a frequent visitor to Denial Land."

Stephanie was still sleeping when I hung up with Jet, so I left a note for her on the bedside table and headed down to the gym for a workout, then quickly showered, dressed, and joined the Miami team for their 0800 Morning Meeting.

**Steph's POV**

Since our flight back to Trenton had been delayed by a day, I'd decided that I might as well get to work on Lester's spreadsheet. Maybe I could make a large dent in it before Jet was able to get the sensor fixed and the plane ready for our return flight. Ranger had offered to let me work in his office, but he had people in and out all morning, and I felt like I was in the way. Instead, I excused myself to a small cubicle in the control room where I could spread out and work on the laptop.

Later that afternoon, Ryan knocked on the side of my cubicle, interrupting my train of thought and making me jump and spin around. His blank face was firmly in place although I swear his eyes sparkled.

"Pay day, Plum!" he grunted, handing me a white envelope.

My stomach fluttered as I tore into it. This was the first time I'd gotten a pay check in years! I unfolded the white paper and gasped when I saw the amount that was printed on the check. I stared bug eyed up at Ryan. "This can't be right!"

He shrugged. "If there's a problem with it, you'll have to call Tank. But he'll probably just tell you that if there's a mistake, it's your payroll program that's to blame." With a wink, he spun around and walked over to another cubicle, handing out paychecks to all of the guys.

I swallowed hard and picked up the envelope, heading towards Ranger's office. I knocked tentatively on the closed door, and waited until he barked, "Enter!" before opening it.

Glancing up from his computer, Ranger gave me a slight smile. "Babe."

I cleared my throat nervously and handed Ranger my pay stub, waiting for him to see the mistake.

He looked it over, then sat back in his seat, elbows resting comfortably on the armrests, fingertips steepled. He raised one eyebrow in question.

"That can't be right." I explained, gesturing at the paper.

Ranger picked my pay stub back up and reexamined it before handing it back to me. "What's wrong with it?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but no sound would come out. I just stared at him in shock.

His lips tipped up ever so slightly when he saw that I was speechless. "If you'd like to negotiate a pay increase, Babe, we can talk about that. But generally we don't give out raises until the employee's one year evaluation."

That snapped me out of my stupor! "For God's sake, Ranger! I don't think it's too low! I think it's too high! There's no way that amount is correct!"

Ranger shook his head minutely. "It's right, Babe. Your salary is the standard Rangeman base pay. We subtracted out the receipts from Ella and added in the distraction job you did the other night."

He stood up and pulled out his wallet. Flipping it open, he took out a card and handed it to me. "If you look closely at that pay stub, you'll see that it's not a check. Rangeman does direct deposit only. This is your new checking account and debit card."

I took the debit card almost in a trance. I stared blankly down at the numbers on the pay stub again, trying to figure out how practical it would be to buy 20 pairs of high heels right before having major leg surgery. I looked up and saw a broad smile across Ranger's face.

"Out loud?" I groaned.

He nodded then walked around the front of his desk. He leaned against the edge of it, and eyed me thoughtfully. "If you want to go shopping, Babe, one of the guys will take you to the mall."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Oh, yeah! I'm sure the guys would love spending a couple of hours in the Macy's shoe department."

Ranger eyed me seriously. "It's not a problem."

I shook my head. "I'm a big girl, Ranger. I can find the mall all by myself."

"It's not your sense of direction I'm worried about, Babe. It's just a security measure."

I tipped my head thoughtfully. "Actually, maybe Simms would be willing to go with me just to hang out. I'm going to miss him when we head back to Trenton. Do you think I could borrow one of the SUVs and go after my shift today?"

I held my breath as Ranger considered this request. I felt like a teenager waiting to see if mom and dad were going to let them borrow the car for the night.

He reached into his top desk drawer and handed me a set of keys. "Call Simms and meet him now. You deserve to celebrate your first paycheck."

I glanced down. "Are these Porsche keys?" I asked in shock.

His lips tipped up slightly. "They belong to the Turbo parked right by the elevator. Be careful, Babe."

He pulled me closer to him and wrapped his arms around me, nuzzling my hair. "What time should I tell Rosalinda to have dinner ready?"

I melted against him. "I'll be back by 6:00."

His lips brushed across my cheek then found my lips. He gave me a soft kiss. "Enjoy your shopping trip, Babe. I'll see you back here in," he glanced down at his watch. "Three and a half hours."

I gave him a blinding smile as I raced out of his office.

**R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S**

Simms followed me down to the garage and raised an eyebrow in surprise when I headed towards the Porsche Turbo instead of one of the many black SUVs parked nearby.

"Ranger gave you keys to the Turbo?" he questioned incredulously.

I just grinned and nodded, walking around to the driver's side door.

Simms grinned and crossed his arms over his chest. "You're kidding, right?"

I rolled my eyes at him and used the key fob to beep the Porsche unlocked. Waving my hand at it in a little _ta dah _motion, I opened the door. "Nope. Not kidding. He really gave me the Turbo keys."

Simms shook his head. "That's not what I was referring to. I meant you've got to be kidding if you think I'm going to let you drive me anywhere!"

I stuck my hands indignantly on my hips and narrowed my eyes. "What is _that_supposed to mean?"

He smirked in my direction. "C'mon, Steph! You know exactly what it means. Do I need to remind you about the tree in my front yard that had a 2 foot section of bark removed by your front bumper?"

I clenched my fists. "We were 19, asshole! And I was trying not to hit your mother's brand new car!"

He held his hand out. "Just give me the keys and let me drive you to the mall. I'd like to get there in one piece."

I gave him a sickeningly sweet smile. "You don't want to ride with me if I'm driving. Is that what you're saying?"

He smirked and nodded. "That's exactly what I'm saying."

I finished opening the driver's side door to the Turbo, got in, locked it, and started the engine. I shifted the car into reverse and lowered the passenger side window an inch. Stretching towards the window, I locked eyes with a very surprised looking Simms. "No problem. You don't want to ride with me? Then walk!"

I gave Simms a little finger wave and backed up out of the parking space. His mouth dropped open in shock. As I shifted into drive, and he realized that I wasn't playing around, he ran up next to the car pleading, "C'mon, Steffie! I was just kidding! Holy shit! Don't pull out!"

I blew him a kiss and then rocketed towards the garage exit. In the rearview mirror, I could see Simms running back towards the elevator. If the Miami garage was anything like the one in Trenton, and I was willing to bet it was, there was a large metal key box hanging on the wall. Simms was most likely grabbing a set of SUV keys so that he could follow me to the mall. I grinned and pushed the accelerator to the floor. Good luck catching up, buddy!

**Simms's POV**

"Fuck me!" I raced over to the key box and ripped the door open. Grabbing a set of keys off of a hook, I hit the unlock button and ran to the SUV with flashing lights.

I climbed in and cranked the engine over, tearing out of the parking garage and heading towards the mall.

Gripping the steering wheel, I gritted my teeth. "I'm in serious trouble! Ranger is going to fire my ass when he realizes that she's all by herself!"

I flew down the street, weaving in and out of traffic until I saw a black Porsche several cars ahead of me. I let out a deep breath and maneuvered so that I was only a few cars behind it. Grabbing my cell phone, I slipped it in the dash holder and turned on the voice command software. "Call Stephanie Plum."

"Calling Stephanie Plum," my phone confirmed.

"Ron! Long time, no see!" she cooed into the phone. "What's new with you?"

I smiled despite my frustration and shook my head at her playful attitude. "You're going to get me fired, you little brat! Pull into one of these parking lots and let me get in."

"Ah ah ah! Ronald Simms! Is that any way to talk to a lady? Especially a lady you need a favor from?!" She lectured in a mock serious voice.

I pursed my lips as I quickly changed lanes and then whipped back over, now directly behind her. "Ha ha, Plum! Listen, I get it! You're a good driver. Great, wonderful, the best driver ever. Lesson learned. Now pull over before you get me fired!"

I slowed down as we approached a yellow light, then slammed my hand on the steering wheel as I watched Stephanie gun the engine and tear through the light just before it turned red.

"Shit! Are you kidding me?! C'mon Steph! Pull the damn car over!"

She giggled into the phone. "Don't all of you RangeMen have to pass a defensive driving course? I'm not even trying here! I have both hands on the wheel right now and everything."

I took a deep breath. "Stephanie Michelle Plum, I love you, but when I find you, you are in serious trouble."

"Hmmm… Then I guess I'd better not let you find me, huh? The mall is a big place! I'm sure I can dodge you for an hour or two."

My eyes widened as I stared in horror at the phone. "No! No, no, no!"

Steph giggled again then said, "Tag! You're it!" before disconnecting.

Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck! Well, RangeMan was a wonderful place to work while it lasted. I wonder if Ranger would still be willing to give me a positive reference even though I lost his girlfriend-?

**R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S**

**Steph's POV**

I sighed happily, my arms weighed down with bags of shoes, lingerie, and assorted clothing items. I was pretty proud of myself. I had resisted the temptation to blow my entire paycheck in one shopping trip and had settled instead on just treating myself to a few nice things. The bulk of my check was still sitting comfortably in my checking account, proving once again that I was officially maturing.

Of course, if I were truly mature, I would've answered the phone one of the 85 times that Simms had called me. Or at least texted him to tell him what store I was in. Instead, I had opted to torture him just a little bit longer. He was going to be pissed at me, I knew, but I figured I'd make it up to him somehow!

I walked out to the parking lot, feeling better than I had in a long time. In fact, I probably looked a little crazy right now- skipping out to Ranger's car with a broad grin stretched across my face and my arms swinging several shopping bags.

I got to the Turbo and set the bags down by the driver's side door, digging around for my keys. I heard someone walk up behind me, and I spun around.

The guy was about 6 foot tall and stocky with a blond buzz cut and a sinister smile. My heart rate immediately sped up, and I took a step back. Unfortunately, that left my back plastered up against Ranger's Porsche with nowhere to go. My hands shook as I finally found the keys in the depths of my purse. With the key fob still inside my bag, I hit the unlock button and fumbled behind me for the door handle.

By then, the stranger was standing right in front of me, a humorless smile on his lips. "That's a gorgeous car." he rasped in a deep voice.

I stared at him, panicked, and tried to slowly ease the driver's door open. His hand swiped out and grabbed my purse. When he saw the keys still dangling from my hand, he tossed my purse, and I swallowed hard, watching the contents spill out and roll under the front of the Turbo.

He leaned closer. "I think you and I should take this baby for a little drive." He grabbed my elbow and steered me towards the passenger side of the car. "Give me the keys and get in the car."

I stared at him, unmoving, as little voices in my head began screaming out in terror. No! Don't let him take you to a second location! That never ends well! My brain raced, trying to come up with an escape plan, when I finally remembered something my college self-defense teacher had told us.

I closed my hand around the keys, watching as my would-be abductor's eyes focused on them. Then with a quick movement, I pulled my arm back and threw them as hard as I could across the parking lot. He looked confused for a minute, his eyes darting between me and the keys. Me and the keys. Me and the keys. Finally making up his mind, he sprinted over to the keys, giving me enough time to get the hell out of there.

As soon as he turned, I was gone, running back towards the mall as fast as I could, my arms and legs pumping. I didn't turn around until I hit the door and heard the squeal of tires. Ranger's Turbo was peeling out of the lot.

I gulped in a few breaths of air and collapsed on a bench just outside the entrance to Macy's. I closed my eyes, trying to regulate my breathing. When my heart rate had slowed somewhat, I realized that I was stranded.

With a sick feeling in my stomach, I looked towards the parking spot where the Turbo had been. I glanced around nervously and then walked slowly back over to the empty space.

I closed my eyes in frustration when I saw that the Porsche had smashed my cell phone before squealing away. Squatting down, I picked up a few pieces in a vain hope that it might still be somewhat usable. I hit the power button and watched helplessly as the bottom half of the phone broke off and fell onto the pavement.

Closing my eyes, I blew out a frustrated breath and let the pieces slip out of my hands and fall back onto the ground. I scooped up the assorted makeup, ink pens, chewing gum, and hygiene products that were now strewn across the pavement. Shoving one last handful of junk into my purse and grabbing my shopping bags, I walked back into the mall and stopped at the food court.

I slid into a booth against the wall and starting gently banging my forehead against the table. Why? Why did this have to happen to me?

Resting my elbows on the table, I cradled my head in my hands. Ranger's car was gone. My cell phone was gone. I rubbed my temples.

Obviously I needed to call Ranger and tell him that his car had been stolen, but that was going to be a little bit difficult to do. I wished that the mall still had payphone banks like they had when I was younger. Unfortunately, now that everyone had cell phones, they had been taken out.

I was seriously regretting ditching Ron for the past two hours. I glanced around hoping to see him walking through the crowd, but I came up empty. Instead, my eyes paused on the giant clock in the middle of the food court. 6:15. Shit! Now I had lost Ranger's car _and_ I was late for Rosalinda's dinner! "You're batting a thousand, Stephanie!" I muttered under my breath.

Well, clearly, sitting in the food court was not going to solve anything. I knew that most stores wouldn't let customers use their phones for a personal call, so I figured that my best shot was mall security. I grabbed my bags and checked the large map. Of course the security station was on the other end of the mall. With a frustrated sigh, I started walking, but when I got to the large desk/counter area, I found it empty. I let my head drop down, and I stared at my new black boots as I took deep breaths to control the irrational rage that was now coursing through my system.

Deciding enough was enough, I walked behind the counter like I belonged there, dropped my bags on the floor, and grabbed the phone. It was then that I realized I didn't even know the phone number for Miami RangeMan. Or Ranger's cell number. I had them both programmed into my cell phone, but I didn't have them memorized. The only numbers I did have memorized were my parents, Mary Lou, Joe, and Simms.

There was no way that I would have considered calling Joe anyhow, but even if I had entertained the notion, he was in New Jersey. Same with my parents and Mary Lou. Completely out of other options, I lifted the receiver and punched in Ron's cell number, waiting for him to lecture me about playing hide and seek for the past two hours. Instead, the phone beeped loudly in my ear and then played a recording, "To dial out, please enter the 4 digit access code."

I hung up the phone and pinched the bridge of my nose. Seriously?!

I looked around again, but I still didn't see anyone I knew, and I figured it would be a little bit weird to ask a complete stranger if I could use their phone to call Simms. Instead, I figured I would just sit here and wait. Eventually one of the security guards had to return, right? Wrong. According to the clock behind the security desk, it was now 6:40. I'd been sitting here for about 20 minutes and nothing, nada, zip, zilch, zero. Not a single security guard had so much as peeked their head down this corridor of the mall. Because trust me, if they had, I would've chased them down.

I had just about worked up enough courage to start walking back to RangeMan when out of the corner of my eye, I saw an SUV with yellow flashing lights cruising through the parking lot. Mall security! They were patrolling the parking lot! There was no way that I could get to this exit and catch them, but they were headed back towards Macy's. I figured if I ran, I could catch them back by where I had originally parked. It wasn't a great plan, but at this point, it was my only plan!

Taking off at a dead sprint, I ran down one corridor, through the food court and back towards Macy's. I could see yellow flashing lights through the door, and my heart rate sped up.

Pushing through the door, I froze. There in the Macy's parking lot was what looked like a SWAT team. There were two mall security SUVs, two Miami PD cars, and about 4 black SUVs all parked at various angles around the empty spot where Ranger's Porsche had last been. It was dark out now, but all of the vehicles had their lights on, and several of the people standing around were also holding flashlights. Even in the poor lighting, I recognized Simms, and I headed towards the crowd of people.

"Simms!" I yelled, running across the parking lot.

He looked up, and even at a distance, the relief was evident on his face. He quickly walked towards me, and met me halfway to the parking space, wrapping me in a bear hug.

Backing up, he gave me a quick once over. "You OK?" he asked gruffly.

I nodded and bit my lip, trying not to cry.

He unclipped a walkie talkie from his belt, and hit a button. "I've got her. We're here at the mall, and she's unharmed."

Immediately, several voices acknowledged Simms's message, and then his cell phone rang. He answered it, glanced up at me, then quickly lowered his eyes. He listened in silence for at least another 30 seconds, then passed me the phone.

I looked at him, my eyebrows creased in confusion, and he motioned for me to talk.

"Hello?" I asked nervously.

"Babe!" the relief was evident in Ranger's voice.

"Hey, Ranger!" I whispered, my throat suddenly feeling like a tennis ball had been lodged halfway down.

"Are you alright?"

I tried to insist that I was fine, but I didn't think that Ranger was buying it. It's difficult to reassure someone when you can't stop your voice from wobbling.

"I'm headed your way, Babe. Let me talk to Simms again, OK?"

I passed the phone back to Simms who listened for another 30 seconds then hung up without ever saying a word. He put a large hand on my shoulder and steered me over to the mess of flashing lights and black SUVs, barking out "Jose!" as soon as we got closer.

A short, muscular guy dressed all in black came trotting over. He gave me the same once over I'd just gotten from Simms. "You OK?"

I bit my lip and nodded, not trusting my voice.

He studied my face, looking unconvinced, and steered me over to one of the Rangeman SUVs. He pulled down one of the back tailgates and patted it, silently asking me to hop up on it. I did as I was instructed, and he immediately began firing questions at me. "Had I been hurt, Did I have any pain anywhere, Did I feel short of breath, Was I dizzy?"

I answered as best I could, but I was never so relieved as when I looked up and saw Ranger moving quickly towards me across the parking lot. I jumped down off of the tailgate and ran towards him at full tilt. He wrapped his arms around my middle, squeezing just a little too tight before walking me back towards Jose.

He glanced at his medic. "How is she?"

Jose shrugged. "Seems perfectly fine."

Ranger sat me back on the tailgate, his hands grabbing mine. "What happened, Babe?"

I told Ranger about how I had finished up my shopping, then walked out to the parking lot only to end up carjacked and phoneless. I explained about not being able to find a security guard, although now I could see why. They were all in the parking lot.

Ranger brushed a quick kiss over my knuckles. "That was smart thinking, Babe, to throw the keys. You made him choose between you and the car."

I smiled at Ranger. "Yeah, my self defense teacher in college recommended doing that if we were ever mugged. He said you should always throw what they're asking for. Your keys, your wallet. Whatever. Nine times out of ten they'll go after whatever you've thrown, and it'll give you a chance to get away."

Ranger nodded. "Smart."

I looked around curiously. "So how did half of RangeMan end up in the Macy's parking lot?"

Ranger's face became serious as he studied mine. "The Turbo has a tracker on it, and so did your phone. The guys on monitors reported to me that the car had left the lot but instead of heading back to RangeMan, it was headed towards Opa Locka. Not a great section of town."

I nodded as a little shiver worked its way down my back. I could have been _in_ the car heading towards a bad section of town.

"I called your cell phone to find out what you were doing, but it went straight to voice mail. When I asked the guys to confirm the location of the phone, they said it was offline."

I nodded. "That's because it was in a zillion pieces."

"Since the last transmitted location was here, one SUV came here, and one headed to Opa Locka. When the guys here saw the smashed phone and the tire tracks, they assumed you had been kidnapped. The SUV in Opa Locka found the car, and started doing a little intensive questioning of witnesses."

I glanced down at Ranger's hand and winced. "That would explain the blood."

He gave me a steady, even gaze. "It's not mine, Babe."

My eyes widened in surprise. "Just what exactly does intensive questioning involve?"

"Whatever it takes to get answers."

I gave him a dubious look, and his eyes hardened just slightly. "I thought you had been kidnapped and were being held somewhere in Opa Locka. My actions were totally warranted."

I bit my lip and nodded, somewhat taken aback by this serious demeanor. "Did you find your car?" I asked hopefully.

Ranger nodded. "I drove it back here. Ten more minutes, and I'm sure it would've been stripped for parts."

I blew out a relieved breath. "Thank goodness! I was feeling terrible about your car being stolen!"

"I don't give a damn about the car, Stephanie. I went down to Opa Locka because I thought _you _were there. I can replace the car. I can't replace you."

I sucked in a deep breath and nodded. "Did you find the guy that took the car?"

He nodded. "I think so, but give me a description."

"Tall, maybe 6 foot? Blonde buzz cut with a reddish complexion."

His lips tipped up slightly, and he brushed another kiss across my knuckles. "That's the guy."

"Do I want to know what happened to him?"

Ranger shook his head just slightly. "Probably not."

He pinned me with a serious gaze. "What I would like to know is where the hell Simms was when the carjacking and attempted abduction was going down."

I swallowed hard and looked down at the parking lot. "Ummm… That would be my fault."

Ranger put a finger under my chin and brought my eyes up level with his. "Explain."

I cleared my throat nervously. "Well, he made a few nasty comments about my driving skills, so I might have left him at RangeMan?" my voice came out higher and just a little bit squeaky at the end, making my statement sound more like a question.

"You left him at RangeMan." Ranger clarified.

I nodded. "But he grabbed a set of SUV keys and followed me." I offered hopefully.

"So you met up here at the mall?"

I bit my bottom lip hard. "Not exactly."

Ranger folded his arms across his chest and raised an eyebrow at me.

"I kind of dodged him the whole time I was shopping."

Ranger's face was giving nothing away. He just stood there as if he were still processing what I had told him. He turned and faced the parking lot, his eyes scanning the crowd. I saw Simms at the same time Ranger did. Leaning dejectedly against a security SUV, head down, hands shoved in his pockets.

Lips in a thin line, Ranger turned back to me. "Stephanie, I asked you to take someone with you so that I could be sure you were safe. I know you're a big girl. I know that you're used to big cities. But this isn't Trenton. You don't know which areas to avoid. You don't know the people here. And you don't speak Spanish. I wanted someone with you so that I knew you were safe."

I tried to swallow, but the lump in my throat was making that impossible. I nodded and blinked fast, trying to stop the tears that were working their way forward. "I'm really sorry, Ranger! Please don't be mad!"

Ranger blew out a frustrated breath. "I'm not mad at _you_, Babe. I'm upset with the situation."

"This all could have been avoided if I had just followed directions, I know." I sniffed.

Ranger's eyes flicked back over to Simms, and I reached out and grabbed his hand. "Please don't be angry with Ron! This is really all my fault. He kept calling my cell phone, trying to meet up with me. I was just being childish and playing around."

Ranger scrubbed his hand across his face and shook his head. "I think I've got a new job assignment for you, Babe."

I eyed him skeptically. "What?"

"You can help train the guys in Trenton and Miami."

"What kind of training?" I asked suspiciously.

"Bodyguarding an unwilling client. I figure if they can keep track of you during a shopping trip, they can certainly keep track of the rebellious teenage son of a foreign diplomat."

I rolled my eyes at him and jumped down off of the tailgate. "Very funny, mister!"

Ranger just smirked and leaned down and pressed a kiss on the top of my head.

**TBC**


End file.
